A federal jury in Baltimore convicted Patrick Britton-Harr, founder and chief executive of private aviation membership company AeroVanti, of wire fraud on June 3, 2026 [1]. Britton-Harr owned and operated AeroVanti, which sold customers access to charter flights on private jets [1][2]. Prosecutors alleged that he defrauded those customers of approximately $15 million [1]. The case proceeded to trial after pretrial litigation in which the defense sought to suppress certain evidence ahead of the May 2026 trial date [2].
The jury returned a guilty verdict on the single wire fraud count [1]. The scheme centered on Britton-Harr's operation of AeroVanti as a vehicle to collect membership fees and payments from clients who were then denied or deprived of the flight services they had contracted for [1][2]. The $15 million figure represents the approximate total taken from customers through the fraudulent scheme [1].
Sentencing has not yet been scheduled as of the verdict date [1]. Wire fraud under 18 U.S.C. § 1343 carries a statutory maximum of 20 years' imprisonment per count, though the actual sentence will be calculated under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and will reflect, among other factors, the loss amount attributed to the offense.
No appeal posture has been reported in the available sources. Post-verdict motions and a sentencing schedule are expected to follow in the ordinary course in the District of Maryland.