Dior Jay-Jarrett, a retired Marine and federal law enforcement officer, has been federally charged with wire fraud for orchestrating a scheme to defraud a major airline of nearly $70,000 in free or discounted flights.
Jay-Jarrett served as a Federal Air Marshal with the Department of Homeland Security in October 2022.
According to a recently unsealed complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Jay-Jarrett allegedly falsified military deployment documents to claim military leave and get travel benefits from the unnamed airline without eligibility.
The fraud allegedly occurred from October 2021 until September 2024, during which time Jay-Jarrett utilized these benefits to take over 130 flights. He is accused of submitting falsified Marine Corps orders referencing deployments that never occurred, with endorsements from fictitious or retired military personnel.
One incident involved securing a “part time” baggage handler position with the airline under false pretenses solely for travel benefits. Jay-Jarrett posted on social media about having visited 13 countries in 2022, according to a Facebook post screenshot included in the filing.
Special Agent Aaron Greenberg stated in the complaint, “JAY-JARRETT’s false statements to Airline-1 were prohibited by [their] employment policies,” and he “took military leave because he was unable to work as a baggage handler in addition to his active military service.”
The investigation revealed Jay-Jarrett’s apprehensions when corporate security at the carrier initiated scrutiny over discrepancies in his employment, which ultimately led to the surfacing of this fraudulent activity.
The complaint stated that Jay-Jarrett confessed to drafting falsified orders, noting, “All they need is a pair of military orders.” He remains in custody.
“As alleged, Jay-Jarrett—a federal law enforcement officer who currently serves as a Federal Air Marshal for the Department of Homeland Security—racked up thousands of dollars in free or discounted flights while pretending to be deployed on military missions around the world,” said Matthew Podolsky, the acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, in a DOJ news release on Thursday. “He did so while simultaneously swearing an oath to protect and serve the public. Federal law enforcement officers are responsible for upholding our laws, and they will be held responsible when they break them.”
