two kC men indicted for fraud scheme to sell airplane parts
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Beth Phillips, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that two Kansas City, Mo., men were indicted by a federal grand jury today for pocketing the proceeds after selling airplane parts that actually belonged to their employers in Pleasant Valley, Mo., and in Kansas City, Mo.
Randy L. Ognibene, 49, and Paul Pica, 52, both of Kansas City, were charged in a five-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City.
According to today’s indictment, Ognibene and Pica were employed by Corporate Aircraft Parts Sales, Inc., a Pleasant Valley company in the business of acquiring aircraft parts from U.S. Customs auctions and re-selling them. When the company was sold in February 2008, its inventory and personnel were transferred to the new company, Corporate Aircraft Parts Specialists, LLC in Kansas City.
The indictment alleges that Ognibene and Pica, who were sales agents, conspired together from Dec. 1, 2007, to July 31, 2008, to sell aircraft parts that actually belonged to their employers. They allegedly directed buyers of these aircraft parts to make payments into bank accounts set up in the name of shell companies, then split the proceeds of the sales between themselves.
As a result of the fraud scheme, Ognibene and Pica received approximately $200,000 in proceeds from the sale of aircraft parts which did not belong to them.
In addition to the wire fraud conspiracy, Ognibene and Pica are charged with two counts of aiding and abetting each other to commit wire fraud and two counts of aiding and abetting each other to commit money laundering.
Today’s indictment also contains a forfeiture allegation, which would require Ognibene and Pica to forfeit to the government any property obtained from the proceeds of the alleged violations, including a money judgment of $200,000.
Phillips cautioned that the charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen D. Mahoney. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
