Commercial Pilot Indicted on Federal Charges

An American Airlines pilot has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Wichita on charges of impersonating a federal air marshal and making a false statement to a federal investigator.
April 6, 2006
2 min read

An American Airlines pilot has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Wichita on charges of impersonating a federal air marshal and making a false statement to a federal investigator, the U.S. attorney's office said Wednesday.

Peter V. Austin, 42, of Wichita, was indicted in a case relating to a March 5 stop by Park City police, according to a news release from the U.S. attorney's office.

A woman who answered the phone at Austin's home said the family would have no comment.

The indictment does not detail the events surrounding that stop, and the Park City Police Department in a statement said it would not comment on the case because of its sensitive nature and its relationship to national security.

If convicted, Austin faces up to three years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the impersonation charge, and five years in prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of making a false statement to a federal investigator. There is no parole from federal prison.

The case was investigated by the Transportation Security Administration.

Wichita Eagle

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