Robert Schirmer, 58, of Port Jefferson Station, Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York, United States was a senior executive of Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc. Fe served as the senior director of the airline’s customer service and capacity in the Americas.
From 2009 to 2021, Schirmer and nine others allegedly participated in a massive scheme to defraud the cargo airline. The other suspects are Orlando Wong, 60, Benjamin “Ben” Wei, 58, Carlton Llewellyn, 55, Alvaro Lopez, 50, Lars Winkelbauer, 47, Abilash Kurien, 45, Fabiola Cino, 45, Patrick “Pat” Lau, 43, and Skye Xu, 40.
Like Shirmer, Llewellyn, Winkerlbauer and Kurien were senior executives of the airline. Wong, Wei, Lopez, Cino, Lau and Xu are vendors who had business arrangements with the airline.
On April 12, 2023, Shirmer, Llewellyn, Winkerlbauer, Kurien, Wong, Wei, Lopez, Cino and Lau were arrested. On April18, 2023, Xu voluntarily surrendered to federal authorities in Los Angeles, California, USA.
On October 24, 2023, Schirmer pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services fraud. The charged carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Schirmer agreed to pay forfeiture in the amount of $983,759.32 and make restitution to Polar in the amount of $9,340,729. On February 13, 2024, Furman will sentence Schirmer.
CONAN Daily 