Two police officers assigned to the Oakland Police Department’s helicopter unit and a former federal aviation safety inspector have been indicted by federal authorities in connection with an alleged conspiracy to secure fraudulent flight credentials. Prosecutors allege the trio engaged in a multi-month scheme to bypass mandatory testing protocols and deceive the Federal Aviation Administration regarding required pilot qualifications.
The charged law enforcement officers, identified as David Mac and Brandon Mart, made their initial appearances in a federal courtroom in Oakland, entering pleas of not guilty to charges of FAA certification fraud and conspiracy. In addition to these joint counts, Mart faces an individual charge alleging the falsification of records in connection with the regulatory filings.
Central to the government’s case is William Miller, who served as an FAA aviation safety inspector during the period of the alleged offenses. Federal prosecutors characterized Miller as the indispensable operative in the scheme, utilizing his regulatory authority to validate nonexistent flight evaluations and grant the officers specialized flight ratings they had not legitimately completed.
In his capacity as an aviation safety inspector, Miller held the authority to administer practical flight tests, commonly referred to in the aviation industry as checkrides. These rigorous assessments are mandatory milestones for pilots seeking advanced airman certifications or specialized instrument ratings, serving as a critical safeguard to verify an aviator’s technical competence and operational safety.
According to the federal indictment, the illicit arrangement spanned from July 2023 to approximately March 2024. Throughout this timeframe, the defendants are accused of preparing and transmitting deceptive documentation to the FAA, falsely certifying that the officers had undergone the necessary evaluations to receive upgraded airman credentials.
The indictment outlines that the fraudulent activity encompassed at least four separate checkrides that were never properly conducted according to federal standards. As a direct result of these falsified submissions, Mart secured three unearned airman certifications, while Mac obtained one fraudulent credential, according to court documents detailing the charges.
Federal investigators cited stark geographic discrepancies to illustrate the fraudulent nature of the documented tests. In one documented instance involving a checkride purportedly taken by Mart, electronic timestamp data revealed that Miller was not physically present in California to conduct the evaluation, but was instead located across the country in Lakeland, Florida.
Court filings further document direct digital correspondence among the co-conspirators demonstrating their coordination to circumvent FAA requirements. In an exchange from July 2024, Mart inquired whether he should transmit documents in advance, asking Miller if he needed pre-scanned records prior to an upcoming administrative step.
Miller responded by directing Mart to complete the online Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application system, noting he would obtain Mart’s identification information later. In his message, Miller acknowledged the informal arrangement by assuring the officer that he was already aware of his flight hours and operational endorsements.
Prosecutors also detailed an incident from February 2024 in which Miller issued a temporary airman certificate authorizing Mart to operate helicopters. The credential was sent directly from Miller’s official government email account to Mart’s personal inbox following a practical test in which required flight maneuvers were skipped.
Despite the fact that Mart failed to perform the mandatory flight exercises during the evaluation, both men endorsed and submitted official FAA documentation claiming the officer had fulfilled all regulatory requirements. The submission formally attested that Mart was fully qualified to hold the advanced helicopter certification.
The criminal allegations strike at the core of aviation oversight, highlighting the potential safety risks that arise when regulatory safeguards and pilot qualification standards are systematically bypassed within specialized law enforcement aviation units.
Following the public disclosure of the federal indictment, Oakland Police Chief James Beere confirmed that department leadership was first notified of the charges against the two officers on Thursday. In response to the federal proceedings, the department immediately moved to place both officers on administrative leave pending the resolution of their criminal cases.
In an official statement addressing the matter, Chief Beere emphasized the detrimental impact that allegations of misconduct have on institutional integrity, stating that breaches of public trust damage community confidence in the broader law enforcement profession. He underscored that the department views federal criminal allegations against its personnel with extreme gravity.
Representatives for the U.S. Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to inquiries or requests for comment following the arraignment proceedings on Thursday. Both officers remain on leave as the criminal case moves forward through the federal judicial system.
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