A flight attendant for United Airlines has been arrested for using the identity of a person who died young to work for 23 years.
A man becomes a flight attendant for 23 years.
The man who was born in 1972 is called Ricardo Cesar Guedes. For the past 23 years, he has been working as a flight attendant for United Airlines using the name Eric Ladd. How could this happen?
In the late 1990s, Guedes convinced officials to issue him a United States passport in the name of William Ericson Ladd.
The real Ladd was born in Atlanta in 1974 and tragically died in a car accident at the age of four.
A passport in the name of the man who stole it, and also a residency permit for his partner, were both obtained using the man's stolen identity.
In the late 1990s, he used his stolen identity to work as a flight attendant for United Airlines.
He worked as a flight attendant for 23 years.
How did the flight attendant get caught?
He worked at United Airlines for over two decades, so how did he get caught? His identity began to fall in 2020.
The State Department launched an investigation in December of 2020 after it was discovered that Guedes tried to get his passport renewed under his stolen identity.
The first time she learned that someone was using her son's identity was in July of 2021.
The fingerprints submitted by Guedes in Brazil were compared to the fingerprints he submitted in the United States under the identity of Ladd.
Federal agents were waiting for him to pass through a known crewmember checkpoint at the Houston Airport to enter the secure area of the airport, without having to go through security.
The man is facing several charges.
A person is pretending to be a United States citizen.
A false statement is provided in a passport application.
There was a fraudulent entry into the airport.
The airline stated that Guedes is no longer employed by the airline, and that they have a thorough verification process for new employees that complies with federal legal requirements. It seems like the government is to blame for this mistake.
At Houston Airport, Guedes was arrested.
The bottom line.
A man from Brazil stole an American's identity in the 1990s and worked as a flight attendant for 23 years at United Airlines. He was caught when officials noticed something suspicious while he was renewing his passport.
The man lost his job after he was arrested at the airport and now faces charges. What a story...
The tip of the hat is to paddle your own kaki.
Ben is the founder of OMAAT.
