Flight School Owner Who Allegedly Stiffed Students Facing Jail

A debt to the IRS by a defunct Virginia flight school means former students have little chance of getting any money back.

Russ Niles

Monday, August 26, 2024 at 02:40 PM ET

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Edited By: tccjeremy

Cessna aircraft [Credit: iStock]

Key Takeaways:

Kevin Rychlik, owner of the now-defunct American Aviation flight school, pleaded guilty to tax evasion, avoiding a longer list of serious federal charges.
The flight school's abrupt closure left dozens of students with substantial lost deposits, some up to $100,000, and hundreds of other creditors stranded.
Creditors are unlikely to recover much money as Rychlik owes the IRS $3.4 million, which takes priority in bankruptcy proceedings and will be paid before any other reimbursements.

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The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is reporting that the owner of a flight school that went bankrupt while allegedly holding hundreds of thousands of dollars in student deposits has struck a plea deal with prosecutors and pleaded guilty to tax evasion.

Kevin Rychlik is facing a prison term but by pleading guilty he avoided indictment on a laundry list of serious federal charges relating to his operation of American Aviation at Manassas Regional Airport (KMNZ) in Virginia and several other businesses.