Summary

On November 4, 2013, a federal jury in U.S. District Court, Sacramento, California, found William Hugh Weygandt, of Granite Bay, California, guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud involving aircraft parts repair. Weygandt is the former owner/president of Weco Aerospace Systems, Inc. (Weco).   

Our investigation disclosed that from approximately the mid-1990s until 2007, Weco falsified test results at its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified repair stations in Lincoln and Burbank, California. WECO employees at both repair stations failed to follow FAA regulations and the manufacturer's Component Maintenance Manual (CMM), a step-by-step guide for conducting proper repairs and overhaul of aircraft parts. In many cases, WECO did not have equipment capable of performing some of the tests required by the CMMs. However, WECO employees performed repairs and returned parts to customers, falsely certifying that their parts had been repaired in accordance with the CMMs. The evidence showed that Weygandt was aware of equipment needs at the Burbank and Lincoln facilities but continued to operate WECO without taking steps to comply with FAA regulations. 

We are investigating this case jointly with the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, OIG.