A former accountant of Channel Islands Aviation (CHN, Camarillo) has been convicted of stealing around USD527,000 from the California-based charter carrier over a period of six years, abusing his position of trust to commit the crimes according to prosecutors. James Matthew Godsey, 46, was found guilty on September 29 on six felony counts of grand theft following a jury trial at Ventura County Superior Court. The jury also upheld special allegations that he caused losses exceeding USD100,000 and exploited a position of trust, Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said in a statement. Godsey worked as a bookkeeper for Channel Islands Aviation from 2015 to 2023, handling payroll and accounts payable. For years, the theft remained hidden because company leadership trusted him to perform his duties honestly and did not scrutinise his payroll records.