Ex-JetBlue employee faces 20 years in prison for scamming airline of nearly $1M

Image of JetBlue Airbus A321neo Aircraft. (Photo: AP/Business Wire)

A former JetBlue employee is facing up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in a Boston federal court on Friday to scamming the airline of nearly $1 million in flights.

Tiffany Jenkins, a former gate agent, used her position to convert low-cost flights to more expensive flights and destinations for friends, family, and acquaintances, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts.

Jenkins, 31, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. She was arrested and charged in November 2018.

Jenkins had access to JetBlue’s computer reservation database and had the ability to use the special code, “INVOL,” which is short for involuntary exchange, to change flights for customers at no additional cost.

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This code is meant to be used by agents to change flights for customers who miss their flights or experience a death in the family.

During a 15-month period, Jenkins used the code approximately 505 times for more than 100 different passengers. The U.S. attorney’s office said many of those exchanges occurred after the passenger first booked low-price domestic flights. Jenkins exchanged those tickets for more expensive international flights instead.

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The charge for wire fraud carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

Jenkins is scheduled to be sentenced in January 2020.