A person was arrested in Salt Lake Metropolis on Sunday after boarding a Delta Air Traces flight with out his personal ticket. He acquired on the aircraft through the use of a photograph of one other passenger’s boarding move, prosecutors say.
Wicliff Yves Fleurizard, a 26-year-old from Texas, is going through one felony cost of stowaways on vessels or plane, in accordance with a grievance filed in US District Court docket in Utah on Monday. If discovered responsible, Fleurizard may very well be fined and imprisoned for as much as 5 years, in accordance with US sentencing pointers.
Surveillance footage reveals Fleurizard “taking pictures of a number of passenger’s telephones and/or boarding passes whereas they weren’t wanting,” together with of a minor lady’s ticket. He acquired on the flight “utilizing his cellphone as a boarding move,” court docket paperwork stated.
US gate brokers usually don’t examine identification at boarding for home flights.
Fleurizard is at the very least the third identified passenger to board a flight within the US and UK with no legitimate ticket this yr.
Final month, a lady ducked safety and took an American Airways flight from Nashville to Los Angeles with no ticket. She was detained by the FBI for questioning however no expenses have been filed. Earlier in February, a man boarded a aircraft to Copenhagen with no ticket at London’s Gatwick airport, the second such incident in beneath two months at London airports. He was faraway from the aircraft earlier than takeoff.
Within the latest Salt Lake Metropolis incident, Fleurizard boarded the aircraft and went to the bathroom on the entrance, the place he stayed till the flight doorways have been secured for takeoff, per the federal grievance. He then made his approach to the bathroom in the back of the aircraft. When he exited the toilet, a flight attendant observed that there have been no seats accessible on the aircraft.
He was caught after giving the attendant a false seat quantity. Since Fleurizard was not approved to be on board, the plane returned to the boarding gate. He was escorted off the aircraft and met by regulation enforcement, per court docket data.
Fleurizard advised officers he was visiting Utah for a snowboarding journey and he wanted to get house to see his household. He stated he had a Southwest Airways “buddy move,” a free or closely discounted ticket staff can share with family and friends. Fleurizard advised the police he had tried to get on two earlier Southwest flights, which have been each full.
Fleurizard “admitted he had made a mistake and was solely attempting to get house,” the grievance stated.
Fleurizard didn’t reply to requests for remark, and his protection lawyer has not but been listed in court docket paperwork.
Delta Air Traces advised USA Right this moment that it’s “cooperating with regulation enforcement and related federal companies.”
