Former Peachtree City Flight School Owners Arrested on RICO, Theft Charges

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. – Two former owners of a Peachtree City flight school have been arrested on racketeering and theft charges after investigators say money from student accounts, including funds tied to aviation scholarships and financing programs, was misappropriated.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Peachtree City Police Department arrested Alex Hamlin, 34, and Harlan Hamlin, 59, both of Peachtree City. The two are father and son.

Each faces 20 counts of theft by conversion and one count of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, according to the GBI.

The two men formerly owned FLYT Aviation, a flight school that operated in Peachtree City.

The investigation began after FLYT Aviation was sold to another owner in October 2024. Peachtree City police subsequently began receiving complaints from flight students about financial discrepancies in their accounts.

On Feb. 12, 2025, Peachtree City police asked the GBI to assist with the investigation.

Investigators determined that funds from several student accounts were misappropriated by Alex and Harlan Hamlin while they operated FLYT Aviation, according to the GBI. Some of the affected accounts belonged to students participating in aviation scholarship and financing programs.

Authorities have not disclosed how much money is believed to have been misappropriated or how many students were affected.

Alex and Harlan Hamlin were booked into the Fayette County Jail on Sept. 4.

The GBI said additional arrests are expected in the case.

Anyone with information related to the investigation can contact the GBI’s Regional Investigative Office in Midland at 706-565-7888.