Woman who flew from New York to Paris without a ticket is charged in federal court
The woman who officials say boarded a flight without a ticket in New York during the Thanksgiving holiday and was detained upon landing in Paris has been charged with being a stowaway.
The woman who officials say boarded a flight without a ticket in New York during the Thanksgiving holiday and was detained upon landing in Paris has been charged with being a stowaway.
Svetlana Dali appeared in federal court in Brooklyn for arraignment on Thursday afternoon. She arrived limping and appearing to be in pain and later sat between her attorney, Michael Schneider of the Brooklyn federal defenders, and a Russian translator.
Her attorney said her actions were similar to jumping a turnstile or a theft of services, adding that she went through metal detectors at airport security.
If she is convicted, Dali could face up to five years in prison, a fine or both.
She didn’t enter a plea Thursday as the charge was brought by complaint from the FBI, which means defendants don’t plead one way or the other in initial appearances — only once they are officially indicted by grand juries.
Rating: 5