Anybody know the story about N224LJ?

[Lear Wanna Be]

I am always curious when I see stuff like this. So I was browsing around today and noticed that N224LJ a 2001 Lear 31 is going up for auction. Seems this aircraft must have run into some trouble with Customs. Says the auction is on behalf of the Immigration and Customs enforcement. One of the last LJ 31s made with only 433TT, this has to be a pretty good story. Anybody know it or recall it sitting on some Custom's ramp for awhile?

 

[Guitar rocker]

I am always curious when I see stuff like this. So I was browsing around today and noticed that N224LJ a 2001 Lear 31 is going up for auction. Seems this aircraft must have run into some trouble with Customs. Says the auction is on behalf of the Immigration and Customs enforcement. One of the last LJ 31s made with only 433TT, this has to be a pretty good story. Anybody know it or recall it sitting on some Custom's ramp for awhile?

Maybe while at Customs in MIA, the pilot threw his trash out in the wrong trash can down there........and got his plane impounded.

In all seriousness, MIA was nailing people with a 5K fine for doing just that. Those customs guys dont have anything better to do down there than to come up with good ways to nail pilots.

 

[YourNameHere]

Actually, it is a Department of the Treasury auction. Could be an income tax problem.

http://www.treas.gov/auctions/customs/learjet.html

 

[Mr Wu]

Actually, it is a Department of the Treasury auction. Could be an income tax problem.

http://www.treas.gov/auctions/customs/learjet.html

Hmmmmmmmm...............

 

[TrafficDawg]

Google search reveals...

... apparently the owners/lessees were caught laundering money by the authorities in Mexico, and the aircraft was seized and is being sold at auction. All this is based on a translation from Spanish via the Google webpage, so please don't shoot the messenger!

 

[YourNameHere]

Just did a Google search of the tail number. Very interesting story involving embezzelment, money laundering, and even murder.

 

[Lear Wanna Be]

Actually, it is a Department of the Treasury auction. Could be an income tax problem.

http://www.treas.gov/auctions/customs/learjet.html

Not that it matters, but I am not sure where you saw that. I just thought there might be a good story. The listing on the contoller.com says, "Public Auction conducted on behalf of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Low time aircraft & recently refurbished by Bombardier, March 2006. All calendar limited items and those approaching limits were accomplished. Aircraft was stripped, inspected for corrosion, repaired as required, and refinished. Newly painted April 2006.........

It is a small world, just thought somebody might know. If it is a tax thing, I would not think that there was much equity in an aircraft that was not even a year old before it was seized.

 

[Lear Wanna Be]

Sorry for the overlap. Bad timing.

That was more of a story than I hoped to know. I thought it just might be a good Bahama drug runner.

 

[some_dude]

See http://usinfo.state.gov/ei/Archive/2004/Apr/22-190456.html

It sounds like the Lear was seized in 2002 and has been sitting ever since, probably why it only has 433 hours total time.

 

[urflyingme?!]

Ok guys,
You got me. There was a film shot involving me, Hillary duff and an un-named midget, when the video got out on the internet, I got busted(she was 17) so they stole my jet, my rhinestone Ray Bans and now I work at Mesa to pay my legal bills...