Woman Found Guilty of Stowing Away on Delta Flight to Paris
A federal jury has convicted Svetlana Dali, a Russian citizen and U.S. permanent resident, of stowing away on a Delta flight to Paris last November. The conviction was handed down on Thursday, after a brief trial in a Brooklyn federal court.
According to ABC News, Dali had been charged with a federal stowaway count for boarding an overnight Delta flight from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on November 26, 2024, and traveling to Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport in France without having a ticket. She had pleaded not guilty.
During the trial, Dali took the witness stand and admitted that she did not have a boarding pass when she walked onto the flight. She claimed that she walked through the gate area, blending in with boarding passengers, and onto the plane. Dali stated that she stayed in the bathroom "almost the duration of the flight, almost from the beginning to the end."
The ABC News report states that Dali was ultimately spotted by Delta employees before the plane landed in France. According to the FBI complaint, Dali was unable to provide a boarding pass, and French law enforcement would not allow her to pass the customs area.
After being removed from the plane, Dali was eventually brought back to New York to face charges. During an interview with the FBI upon her return, Dali reportedly admitted to flying as a stowaway and stated that she did not have a plane ticket and that she intentionally evaded TSA security officials and Delta employees so she could travel without buying one.
In addition to the stowaway charge, Dali has been in trouble with the law recently for other incidents. After being released from custody in early December 2024, she allegedly cut off her ankle monitor and traveled to Buffalo, where she tried unsuccessfully to cross over the Peace Bridge into Canada on a bus on December 16, 2024.
The ABC News report also states that a video obtained by the news organisation shows Dali walking up to gate B38 at Terminal 4, while other passengers have their boarding passes and passports checked for the Paris flight. After gate attendants assisted a separate group of customers and ushered them toward the jet bridge, Dali followed immediately behind.
In response to the incident, a Transportation Security Administration spokesperson said that a review had been conducted, and as a result, "additional security measures are now in place." The spokesperson stated, "TSA’s security measures are always evolving to ensure this type of incident does not happen again."
Dali’s sentencing guidelines range is zero to six months in prison. She has already been in custody for more than five months, and the judge has not yet set a sentencing date.
The incident highlights the need for continued vigilance and security measures at airports to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. As reported by ABC News, the TSA has taken steps to enhance security protocols, but the incident serves as a reminder of the importance of remaining vigilant and proactive in preventing security breaches.
