The Mohave County Airport Authority (MCAA) is a non-profit corporation established to develop, promote, and improve air transportation and commerce in Mohave County, Arizona. Primarily responsible for managing the Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport, a regional hub, the MCAA oversees commercial and general aviation services, including charter flights, air ambulance operations, and fixed base operator services like fueling and aircraft maintenance. The MCAA operates on land leased from Mohave County, with a board of nine directors and general membership providing policy guidance. The authority also manages over 30 hangars and nearby commercial properties.
In 2024, the MCAA faced a criminal investigation involving alleged embezzlement through credit card misuse by airport employees. The issue surfaced during a special MCAA board meeting in March, with Director Troy Teske confirming "criminal activity" at the airport, though specifics were withheld due to the ongoing investigation. Treasurer RayWinslow reported the matter involved a forensic audit of credit card transactions, with Bullhead City Police involved. The MCAA has insurance to cover losses and part of the audit costs, expecting minimal financial impact. A private Finance and Planning Committee meeting was held in April to discuss further details, but public disclosures remained limited. The investigation also coincided with staff departures, including the assistant airport director and fire operations manager, though reasons varied from health issues to new job opportunities.
This year, District 2 Supervisor Rich Lettman brought forward discussion on the lease of the Airport to MCAA, and the financial status of the corporation. Supervisors voted to pursue a voting seat on the MCAA Board, and to have the MCAA make a public presentation on the results of their audit, operations, and future development to the County. MCAA agreed, then cancelled.
This month, an email between County Manager Sam Elters and MCAA President William Osborne came to light, dated May 7, 2025. In the correspondence Mr. Osborne writes,”...We have a critical issue with our fuel farm and have been planning on the corrections needed. We were only recently informed that the farm failed a 2017 inspection. This information was withheld from us by the previous owner, the tank sidewalls are approximately 25% original thickness. We are applying for a five million dollar loan to replace them. I’m sure you know these are not “off the shelf” and the process of engineering, permitting and manufacturing will be at least 6 months. Additionally we are in negotiations with an airline for service and a major cargo opportunity. Any suggestion of litigation concerning our leases would absolutely have a negative effect with all of these efforts but most assuredly would kill the loan and therefore the airport would be essentially closed. Should the worst happen here, Mr. Lettman has been in the forefront of these efforts and will be the first one to be mentioned. Clearly and unfortunately we are entering an adversarial relationship...”
So, it seems they bought a million dollar problem that’s going to cost $5M to fix and now we know why MCAa didn’t want anyone having to answer questions or speak on the record to the County. Stay tuned, more to come on this story.