Former Business Jet Escrow Exec Sentenced in Drug Trafficking Scheme | Aviation International News

Regulations and Government

Former Bizjet Escrow Exec Sentenced in Drug Scheme

Judge gives sentence of 16 years in federal prison

Debra Lynn Mercer-Erwin — (Screenshot from AGC video)

By Chad Trautvetter • Online Editor

December 17, 2024

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas has sentenced Debra Lynn Mercer-Erwin, owner of the Wright Brothers Aircraft Title Co. and Aircraft Guaranty Holdings Corp., to 16 years in federal prison, five years of supervised release, and a $400 special assessment, the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General (DOT-OIG) said yesterday. According to the DOT-OIG, Mercer-Erwin and others carried out a scheme to further international drug trafficking using business aircraft.

She was found guilty in May 2023 of conspiracy to commit money laundering and wire fraud, possessing cocaine with intent to distribute, and distributing cocaine knowing it would be imported into the U.S. Under the scheme, Mercer-Erwin and others registered aircraft with the FAA while concealing that foreign nationals owned the aircraft, and falsely claimed they would adhere to all regulatory and statutory requirements.

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