Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Passenger sentenced to 4 months in prison for interfering with flight crew

Passenger sentenced to 4 months in prison for interfering with flight crew

A New York City woman was recently sentenced to four months in prison for interference with flight crew members, according to a Department of Justice news release.
Kelly Pichardo had previously pleaded guilty to the charge, which is a Class C felony offense. Pichardo also received 36 months of supervised release and was ordered to pay $9,123 restitution to American Airlines, the department said in the release.The sentence was imposed on August 29, according to court documents.

"Unruly and intimidating behavior," the release says, by Pichardo and her co-defendant on a February 2021 American Airlines flight from Dallas to Los Angeles prompted the flight to reroute to Phoenix so that the two could be removed from the plane. They were traveling in first class.

Ana Laura Botello, an attorney for Pichardo, declined to comment on the sentencing.

The co-defendant, Leeza S. Rodriguez, is scheduled to be sentenced in November "pursuant to her guilty plea," the department said.

"There is a line between boorish behavior on an airplane and criminal activity, and the defendant clearly crossed it," said US Attorney Gary Restaino in the news release. "First class passengers are not immune from prosecution."The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, a union representing more than 20,000 American Airlines flight attendants, said the violent behavior displayed on the flight diverted to Phoenix "must stop."

"APFA will continue collaborating with other flight attendant and customer service agent unions, the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Congress to ensure these offenders are prosecuted to the full extent of the law with appropriate fines and criminal penalties," said Julie Hedrick, the union's national president, in a statement provided to CNN.

The maximum fine for the violation of the Class C felony is $250,000, with a maximum prison term of 20 years.

A record year for unruly passenger behavior, 2021 ended with nearly 6,000 reports to the Federal Aviation Administration.

More than 1,100 investigations and 350 enforcement actions were initiated.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Phoenix Police Department, conducted the investigation of the incident involving Pichardo.

At the end of 2021, the Justice Department vowed to prioritize the prosecution of crimes on commercial airplanes.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
×