Former Aviation Company Employees File Whistleblower Suit

By Katie Hauser

Published on December 05, 2006

James H. Young, former president, and Raymond W. Barkoot, former chief inspector, claimed that they were fired from Express.Net after presenting a long list of serious violations to company officers last summer. The company initially gave Barkoot severance pay, but later revoked it. Young was never given severance pay. The two have also been denied a formerly agreed-upon percentage of the Naples, Florida company’s profits.

Young and Barkoot made a number of claims that the aviation company operated contrary to safety and security regulations. They claimed that Express.Net made improper, temporary, and illegal repairs to aircraft. They also claimed that officials falsified aircraft log records, allowed unauthorized personnel to fly in the cockpit of planes, and that the company failed to conduct proper security screens of passengers and employees, among other complaints.

Young and Barkoot have enlisted the assistance of Naples attorney Larry Farese, and have filed a lawsuit in Collier County Circuit Court.

Express.Net has yet to answer the allegations. Its parent companies, Clark Aviation Corp. and Magena LLC, also have not responded to the charges.

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