Friday, Feb. 7, 2014 | 10:05 p.m.
A federal appeals court has ruled that a man convicted of swindling airlines and Las Vegas travel agencies out of $1.4 million in a ticket selling scam does not owe an additional $65,000 in restitution.
Greg Carter, his then wife Susan Carter and Susan's daughter Jaime Abarghoie were found guilty in 2006 of gaining unauthorized access to the airline ticket writing authority from travel agencies and then selling tickets at an escalated price.
They forfeited $505,781 in cash, property and vehicles to be used to repay the losses to the airlines and travel agencies.
Greg Carter was sentenced to 70 months in prison in 2006, and upon his release the federal probation agency said he owed $65,955 in restitution. Senior Judge Lloyd George agreed.
A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision Friday, said the terms of sentencing in 2006 were that the forfeited amount of $505,781 would satisfy any restitution.
Visiting District Judge Jack Zouhary disagreed with the majority of circuit Judges J. Clifford Wallace and Marsha Berzon. Zouhary said the court records support the decision of Judge George.
Susan Carter was sentenced to 50 months in prison and her daughter received six months of home confinement. Greg Carter was also ordered to serve 36 months on supervised release on being freed from prison.
The three were accused of gaining access to the airline reservation system from 2000 to 2003 and purchasing first or business class tickets at a reduced rate and then selling them to travelers at prices higher than regular fares.
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