NATIONAL NEWS

Former Southwest Airlines customer-service agent is charged with fraud in voucher-selling scheme

Jun 6, 2023, 1:12 PM

CHICAGO (AP) — A former Southwest Airlines customer-service agent has been indicted and charged with fraud for allegedly making and selling travel vouchers worth nearly $1.9 million.

Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that DaJuan Martin was working at Chicago’s Midway Airport when he filled out the vouchers with phony names, then sold them to others including a co-defendant, Ned Brooks, at less than face value.

In an indictment handed down Monday, Martin, 36, of Bolingbrook, Illinois, was charged with 12 counts of wire fraud. Brooks, 46, of Chicago, was charged with four counts of wire fraud. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Martin worked for Southwest between November 2018 and June 2022. As a customer-service agent, he had authority to issue the vouchers to customers who experienced service problems. Brooks and others would send Martin text messages when they wanted vouchers, according to the indictment.

Prosecutors are seeking forfeiture of nearly $1.9 million from Martin, $732,000 from Brooks, nearly $27,000 in cash and a 2021 Land Rover.

National News

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 23: Louis Gossett Jr. attends American Black Film Festival Hon...

Beth Harris, The Associated Press

Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87

Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries “Roots,” has died. He was 87.

15 minutes ago

Associated Press

Former NYPD officer acquitted of murder in shooting of childhood friend during confrontation

MINEOLA, N.Y. (AP) — A former New York City police officer has been acquitted of murder in the shooting of his childhood friend during a confrontation on Long Island. A jury on Thursday convicted Errick Allen, 30, only of menacing in the May 12, 2020, shooting of Christopher Curro, Newsday reported. Allen was off duty […]

59 minutes ago

Associated Press

Texas appeals court overturns voter fraud conviction for woman on probation

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — A Texas appeals court has overturned a Fort Worth woman’s voter fraud conviction and five-year prison term for casting an illegal provisional ballot. Crystal Mason did not know that being on probation for a previous felony conviction left her ineligible to vote in 2016, the Second District Court of Appeals […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

France asks for foreign police and military help with massive Paris Olympics security challenge

France says it has asked 46 countries if they would be willing to supply more than 2,000 police officers to help secure the Paris Olympics this summer, as organizers finalize security planning for the French capital’s first Games in a century while on heightened alert against potential attacks. The Interior Ministry said Friday that the […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Magnitude 2.8 earthquake shakes southern Illinois; no damage or injuries reported

GERMANTOWN, Ill. (AP) — An earthquake of magnitude 2.8 has been reported in southern Illinois, near the Missouri state line, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The earthquake was detected about 6:55 p.m. Thursday north of Germantown, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) east of St. Louis, at a depth of just over 14 miles (22.5 kilometers). […]

3 hours ago

Associated Press

Georgia joins states seeking parental permission before children join social media

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia could join other states in requiring children younger than 16 to have their parents’ explicit permission to create social media accounts. Lawmakers on Friday gave final approval to Senate Bill 351, which also would ban social media use on school devices and internet services, require porn sites to verify users are […]

11 hours ago

Former Southwest Airlines customer-service agent is charged with fraud in voucher-selling scheme