On June 29, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio sentenced Michael Puehler to 36 months of probation and a $200 special assessment. On February 2, 2023, Michael Puehler pleaded guilty to one count of falsification of records and one count of receiving an illegal gratuity by a public official. The investigation revealed that in September 2018, Puehler falsified an airman certificate and rating application for a flight instructor in exchange for payment while knowing the instructor did not satisfactorily complete any of the renewal requirements.