Aviation company head arrested for supplying defective parts

The president of aviation parts firm Aerospec has been arrested on suspicion of fraudulently supplying defective goods to the US government.

62-year-old Paul Skiscim of East Northport was detained at the end of February on charges of supplying the defective airplane parts - including fasteners used to ensure the structural integrity of aircraft. The defective parts failed to meet required strength and composition specifications and around a third failed on testing.

According to a Justice Department statement, Aerospec had been a supplier of airplane parts to the United States from 2003 until 2013, when the company and Skiscim were debarred after supplying the government with defective airplane parts intended for use on the A-10 military aircraft, amongst others. The fasteners (pin rivets) bore falsified labels.

After his debarment, Skiscim allegedly continued to bid, contract, and supply defective airplane parts to the federal government through a series of shell companies using the names of relatives and fictitious people to mask his involvement. The shell companies included businesses called Sun Tech Air Parts, Aerocon and Specialty Components.

Since 2013, the shell companies received over $2.8m for the supply of airplane parts, including parts that have been shown to be defective, according to the Pentagon’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

"The defendant's alleged scheme of supplying defective parts not only violated the law but showed a callous disregard for the safety of federal employees and our military personnel," said US Attorney Robert Capers.

Skiscim was arraigned on February 29 and released on a $1m bail bond.