A former Cessna employee has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for selling stolen aircraft parts on eBay and was also ordered to pay $130,000 restitution. Diego Alejandro Paz-Teran (35) of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen property. In his plea, Paz-Teran admitted he stole aircraft parts from Cessna and sold them on eBay.

According to court documents, the investigation began in November 2008 when an employee of a Rockwell Collins distributor saw a Collins AHC-3000 attitude reference computer offered for sale on eBay for $9,000. Knowing that the part was valued at more than $45,000, he contacted the seller and asked for serial numbers.

Cessna tracked the serial numbers to a part that was removed from a Cessna XLS+ while it was being painted. Investigators found other stolen aircraft parts being sold on the same eBay account and followed records on the account to Paz-Teran at his home in Wichita.

A spokesman for Cessna told AIN the company declined to comment beyond saying, “It was a criminal matter that has been resolved.”