FORMER CONTINENTAL AIRLINES RESERVATIONS AGENT SENTENCED TO PRISON FOR TICKET SCAM

(Houston) - Supanee “Tami” Morris has been sentenced to 46 months imprisonment for her participation in a conspiracy to defraud her former employer, Continental Airlines, by issuing unauthorized e-tickets, acting United States Attorney Tim Johnson announced today. U.S. District Judge Gray Miller also sentenced Morris to pay more than $650,000 in restitution to Continental for the losses incurred as a result of her criminal conduct. 

On Sept. 22, 2008, a federal jury convicted Morris, 44, of Houston, of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 10 counts of wire fraud, finding Morris used her position as a long-time reservations agent with Continental Airlines to manually manipulate Continental’s reservations system. Morris performed what was called an “Even Exchange” ticketing procedure to issue fraudulent tickets - a ticketing process normally used to re-issue previously purchased air travel that had been cancelled due to weather or other circumstances. However, instead of issuing legitimate “Even Exchange” tickets, Morris used an override keystroke to manually enter a fictitious prior ticket number to make Continental’s reservation system believe Continental had previously been compensated for the newly issued fraudulent ticket when, in fact, it had not received any payment at all. From July 2004 through June 2005, Morris issued 1,011 fraudulent tickets valued at $668,647.

Morris was charged along with co-defendant Toussaint Washington, also a former Continental employee, who pleaded guilty in December 2007 to conspiracy and wire fraud. Morris sold the fraudulent tickets directly to one or more passengers, while Washington, 35, sold the bulk of the tickets fraudulently issued by Morris to members of the public with offers for confirmed seat travel at discounted prices. Washington used his position as a barber in the Houston area - as well as his part-time employment with Continental - to approach members of the public. Bank records introduced at trial showed Washington split the proceeds of the sale of the airline’s tickets with Morris by writing her checks or depositing cash totaling more than $83,000.

Morris was allowed to remain on bond pending assignment of a Federal Correctional Institution. Washington, who has been in federal custody since August 2007 following a violation of bond conditions, is set to be sentenced on Dec. 15, 2008, at 1:45 p.m.