Former CPS Teacher Sentenced to Prison in Southwest Airlines Voucher Scam
A former Chicago Public Schools STEM teacher, Ned Brooks, has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison for his involvement in a multimillion-dollar Southwest Airlines voucher scam. Brooks, who taught at Fiske Elementary in West Woodlawn, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud last year.
Brooks admitted to buying and reselling “Southwest Luv Vouchers” that were generated by his co-defendant, Dajuan Martin, an airline customer service agent. Martin exploited his access to Southwest’s customer service compensation system to create fraudulent vouchers, which he sold to Brooks for personal profit.
Martin, who has already been sentenced to two years in prison, was ordered to pay $1,875,900 in restitution. The scheme drained Southwest Airlines of nearly $2 million, with Brooks causing the airline to lose at least $1,786,000.
According to court records, the fraud escalated rapidly, with Martin embezzling over $2,150,000 in just a few months before being caught by Southwest audits. Brooks recruited other participants into the operation, and prosecutors described his actions as “blatantly fraudulent” and driven by greed.
Despite his criminal activities, Brooks’s defense attorney highlighted his decades of community work, including teaching math, science, and technology to underrepresented students, coaching youth sports, mentoring young teachers, and volunteering in programs supporting minority students in STEM fields.
U.S. District Judge John Tharp presided over the case and sentencing, emphasizing the seriousness of the fraud and the impact on Southwest Airlines. The sentencing serves as a cautionary tale against engaging in fraudulent activities for personal gain.
