A Southwest Airlines employee was charged with theft after police say he printed $79,000 in flight vouchers at a Missouri airport

15.08.2024 - 21:41 / insider.com

A Southwest Airlines customer service agent based at St. Louis Lambert International Airport has been charged with theft after police say he printed $79,000 worth of flight vouchers.

An internal investigation carried out by the airline found that Brooklyn Jones printed the vouchers "using past passengers' names and redeemed them for himself," according to a complaint obtained by Business Insider from the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

An investigator from Southwest said Jones had "made a written statement confessing to these allegations" and that he "was willing to relinquish" the vouchers he had, the complaint says.

Jones is said to have shown officers to his locker, where he turned over 119 flight vouchers worth a total of $36,300 to the airline's investigator, it continues.

Jones was then arrested. In subsequent interviews, he told officers that he "received money for the vouchers on 4 separate occasions" and that he printed vouchers totaling $79,000, per the complaint.

Police said they believe Jones printed the vouchers between August 1, 2023, and September 28, 2023.

Jones has since pleaded not guilty to the felony, USA Today reported.

Bert Fulk, an attorney for Jones, said in a statement that the allegations were based on a "probable cause statement that appears to rely heavily on third-party statements," per USA Today.

"We look forward to the discovery process and reserve the right to comment in the future upon receipt and review of the specific discovery in this matter," he added.

In response to a request for comment from BI, Southwest Airlines deferred to local law enforcement.

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Jones' attorney did not respond to a request for comment from BI.

In 2023, another customer service representative for Southwest was charged after federal prosecutors said he created and sold fake travel vouchers valued at around $1.9 million.

DaJuan Martin, who worked for the airline at Midway Airport in Chicago, "used fictitious customer names to fraudulently generate the vouchers without the airline's knowledge or approval," according to an indictment filed in federal court in Chicago.

Martin then sold the vouchers, which are known as "Southwest LUV Vouchers," at a discounted price in exchange for cash, per the indictment.

Jonathan Bedi, Martin's lawyer, previously told BI: "Mr. Martin is a wonderful family man, who has young children and he is loved by all who know him."

"He is looking forward to his day in court," he added.

Martin reached a plea deal with prosecutors in July, USA Today reported.