Allegations of Bribery Scheme at Kennedy Airport Lead to Multiple Arrests
Several cargo companies at Kennedy Airport are facing serious charges for allegedly participating in a bribery scheme involving a senior Delta Airlines employee. According to the New York State Attorney General’s Office, these companies bribed the Delta official with over $250,000 in cash and various luxurious trips over a five year period in order to secure their contracts.
The accused individuals include Irfan Syed, CEO of Jet Way Security and Jet Way Aviation Services, Beau Bauer, Syed’s top aide, and an as-yet-unindicted co-conspirator who headed Alliance Ground International. These individuals allegedly paid the Delta official $8,000 every three months between 2018 and 2023 in exchange for extending their contracts.
The scheme involved creating fake invoices in the amount of $25,000 each quarter, making it look like legitimate payments from AGI to Jet Way. In reality, the money was split between Syed, Bauer, and the Delta official. The Delta employee also received four trips to Las Vegas and yearly trips to Atlantic City, with all expenses covered by the bribe-givers.
Another individual, Raymond Kayume, who is the head of Kennedy Advanced Professional Services, is accused of paying bribes to the Delta official in order to preserve contracts for his company. Kayume allegedly agreed to pay 5% of his company’s earnings to the Delta employee, disguising the payments as checks for fake work.
Joseph Puzzo, a manager at American Compressed Gases Inc., is also involved in the scheme. Puzzo allegedly funneled bribes to a third company in the form of fake consulting fees, with half of the cash going to the third company and the rest being sent to the Delta official. These bribes were disguised as payments for nonexistent office space.
All four individuals involved have been arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on charges of bribery, money laundering, and fraud. A fifth co-conspirator is expected to be arraigned in the coming days. The Delta official has not yet been charged, but the investigation is ongoing.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James stated, “When businesses bribe their way into lucrative contracts, everyday New Yorkers can suffer the consequences of worse service and higher costs. These bribery schemes impacted critical shipping services at one of the busiest airports in the nation. These individuals repeatedly broke the law, but today we are shutting down their pay-to-play schemes and holding them accountable.
If convicted, the co-defendants could face up to 15 years in prison. This investigation was a joint effort between the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates the airport, and Homeland Security Investigations.
The consequences of this alleged bribery scheme could have serious implications for the everyday operations of Kennedy Airport. It is important for businesses to operate ethically and not resort to illegal tactics in order to secure contracts.