By: Las Vegas Now Staff
A former candidate for Clark County Sheriff and controversial owner of a local helicopter company that filed for bankruptcy last month was supposed to make his first appearence in federal bankruptcy court today.
Jerry Airola didn't attend the hearing, but hundreds of former Silver State students were there.
Close to 200 former students showed up at the Foley Federal Building, but the group was larger than expected so the bankruptcy hearing had to be moved to a larger room across the street at the George Federal Courthouse.
Students from Las Vegas and as far away as California and Washington state wanted to be here.
They are among the more than 2,000 students from Silver State who were shocked to learn their training was coming to an end and that Silver State Helicopters was filing for bankruptcy.
Jamie Antoni is from Las Vegas and took out a $70,000 loan to pay for the school. He was at the hearing to learn more about his options after Airola pulled the plug.
“I want to find out, get as much information as I can because there's a substantial amount of money involved from these individual people. Seventy grand a head. That's a lot of money. If it turns out we're expected to pay that money back, I want to find out where it went. Their claiming the money is all gone. Where did it all go?” said Antoni.
Many of these students have hired independent lawyers. They were also on hand, listening to what may happen after the hearing.
Email your comments to Reporter Chris Saldana
 |
 |
This is just beyond frustrating, Jerry Airola is a coward. To not face the people that he disregarded is just what you’d expect from him. Why would he not be REQUIRED to show up? To allow him to do the things he did and not have to offer any explanation is wrong. Is this what bankruptcy is all about? To use the money from the students for personal things and then when it is all gone just file paperwork and it gets swept under the rug because it’s a business? I can only hope the truth will come out!!!
Comment by Gloria Wilson — March 12, 2008 @ 8:33 am
I especially LOVE the last line of his email to employees…. You don’t know how hard it is to push “Send”… HA HA HA What a whopper… If he really “cared” about us as he stated he would have had the integrity to show up in court… Actions speak louder than words BUDDY BOY…
Further more. An inside informant has come out stating that JA spent our money on his failed bid for sheriff… If he used our tuition on his own political bidding, then what stopped him from giving our tuition to his embattled buddy Governor Gibbons? (Gibbons is currently under investigation by the FBI)
If Jerry Airola is such an “honest guy” then he would have shown his face in court. But unfortunately he knows that he is a fraud and as a result has to walk around with two armed guards…. Probably wearing a disguise… Poster boy for the republican party. They talk about patriotism yet walk all over their fellow Americans for their god.. The almighty dollar sign.
Comment by Kevin W — March 12, 2008 @ 6:19 pm
Jerrry Airola is no more than a thief and a liar he ripped off silver state students the same as if he had stuck a gun in their face and took their wallets. I was a student that did not get what I paid for. As far as I am concerned the loan given to me for my training was represented to me by silver state and student xpress was a student loan and under federal bankruptcy laws are null and void for myself and silver state helicopters is responsible for paying it back. Personally I will let the loan company come after me and let a jury decide who owes whom money. As far as Jerry Airola is concerned what comes around goes around and eventually he will get what he has coming.
Comment by Dan Thrower — March 13, 2008 @ 5:00 am
Jerry Airola is the ultimate low-life conman, period. Besides the massive financial losses to all the students that he obviously and deliberately defrauded, he has also managed to trash the reputation of ALL aviation Flight Schools, a fact that will increase the problems for legitimate schools to raise student loan money for their own flight training requirements. Shame on you Airola, may you rot in the hell that is surely coming your way. John Watson, 30 year General Aviation veteran.
Comment by John Watson — March 15, 2008 @ 3:18 am