Third man charged with defrauding American Airlines

A Chicago man was added this week to a suburban criminal case that federal authorities say funded a Wood Dale man's spending spree on homes, cars, watches and monthly payments to a dancer.

Thomas Alessi, 67, of Chicago was named for the first time this week as joining Gary Aumann, 65, and Donald Down, 54, both of Wood Dale, in defrauding American Airlines out of more than $6 million from 1997 to 2007.

The three were indicted Tuesday, but Down and Aumann were charged in the crime back in December.

According to a federal affidavit by FBI agent David Mertz, Aumann was the airline's planner of facilities management at O'Hare and earned a yearly salary of $52,000. Those relatively modest means, coupled with his wife's pension from the Elgin school system, didn't add up to supporting his lifestyle, the affidavit said.

Aumann also owned homes in St. Charles and Four Seasons, Mo., where a four-boat dock harbored two boats and two Waverunners.

Locally, Aumann had eight cars, a motorcycle, a scooter, two Rolexes and numerous expensive jewels, according to the indictment.

And then there were the monthly payments of $4,000 to a dancer identified only as "LA," who lives in the vicinity of Lake of the Ozarks and dances at a club called "Earth Angels," the affidavit said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Hays charges in court documents that Aumann, Down and Alessi would prepare phony invoices and send them to American, where Aumann would authorize their payment.

Down collected checks for two phony companies at post office boxes in Addison and Elk Grove Village, while other payments went to other post office boxes in Palatine and Streamwood.

Another individual, identified only as "Individual A," participated in the scam but has not yet been charged, the affidavit says.

All three named defendants are not in custody and will face an arraignment on a date yet to be set. Aumann and Down could not be reached for comment. Alessi declined comment.