Hello,

I have a question that I need answered. I have been applying at airlines to be a flight attendant. After 9-11 all airlines are required to complete FBI background checks. Well every time I interview at airlines I have to put on the application that I committed a crime because the fingerprints come back.

My crime was this... I was 18 years old and shoplifted a candybar, chips, and a bottle of facewash... STUPID I KNOW. But since was 18 even though I was in high school I still had to be fingerprinted... this was in NOV 98.

Well I had to see the magistrate, and she decided that since this was a first offense and a petty crime, that I needed to take a shoplifters correction class... a one time thing, and all records would be dropped and erased.

Well... nothing exists... all records are literally gone... even the clerk of courts couldn't find them when I had to get information for an employer.

Well I was told by one airline that if your fingerprints are in the FBI database... THEY WILL ALWAYS be there.

I feel this is causing airlines to dismiss my application and not get interviews.

SO, can I have my fingerprints erased? I understand based on certain crimes... things can't be erased or expunged... but I feel what I did 9 years ago when I was a KID shouldn't be in the FBI fingerprints database.

Anway, thank you for reading the long story... I look forward to your answers and suggestions.

Sincerely,
flyboydja26

You say in the first part of your post that you interview? Or, did you mean that you are just filling out applications?

If indeed you have interviewed, I would suggest being upfront and telling the interviewer the circumstances of your crime.

We all know how the security has gotten to be so much better at the airlines since 9-11. It may be that anyone who admits on an application of committing a crime that would be considered a felony is not going to be getting a job at an airline. Just might be a reality, because I can see why they would not be wanting to take any risks.

On your application, I would suggest attaching a note explaining your situation. There is nothing wrong or improper about including a note with an application.

Could get you in the door.

If your record was expunged and you are applying for a job with an airline, your fingerprints should be returned as "No Hit/No Record Found" If you are certain the record was expunged then you are not required to reveal the offense unless you are applying for a job with law enforcement. You are even legally allowed to declare under oath that you have not committed any criminal offense.
If your fingerprint record is returning a "Hit", then the state in which you reside has never notified the FBI of the expungement. You will need to reach out to your state identification bureaue (the AG's Office in your state can tell you who that is) and prove that the record was expunged and formally requestt the FBI be notified. You should get no push back on this as the state is currently in direcet violation of a court order if this hasn't already been done.
I was young and foollish once, myself (now I'm old and foolish lol) and we all make mistakes. The problem you'll continue to face until the record is expunged at the FBI is that although this was a very minor offense and it took place years ago, it still is considered to be a "dishonest act."
The concern would be that you may be subject to taking money or a bribe... you get the picture. The good news is that once the record is properly expunged, it's as if it never happened.
Good luck.

Is it true that when your record is expunged in California that they are suppose to notify the FBI that it has been expunged, so that no record comes up when your fingerprints are run?