Russian woman charged with sneaking aboard Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Paris released
A woman accused of sneaking onto a Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Paris was arraigned last week and charged with knowingly stowing away aboard an aircraft without consent.
Svetlana Dali, a 57-year-old U.S. permanent resident originally from Russia, appeared in a federal court in Brooklyn on Dec. 6, where she was subsequently released without bail under a detailed set of conditions. According to court documents, Dali, who did not enter a plea during her arraignment, will reside in Philadelphia and must submit to GPS monitoring, a mental health evaluation, and surrender any travel documents.
Snuck through security
According to a criminal complaint filed on Dec. 5, Dali reportedly snuck aboard Delta Air Lines flight 264 at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport bound for Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris on Nov. 26.
Airport surveillance footage reviewed by the FBI showed Dali initially attempting to get in line at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint before being turned away after she was unable to show a boarding pass.
A few minutes later, Dali was able to get past the checkpoint by "entering through a special lane for airline employees masked by a large Air Europa flight crew."
Dali was subsequently screened along with other ticketed passengers and proceeded to a boarding gate. There, charging documents state that Dali was able to board the plane because, "Delta agents, who were busy helping ticketed passengers board, did not stop her or ask her to present a boarding pass before she boarded the plane."
During the flight, in which CNN reported that passengers noticed Dali attempting to hide in a lavatory, the crew became aware of her presence and notified French authorities.
FBI officials interviewed Dali after she was returned to the U.S. by French law enforcement on Dec. 4, where charging documents show that she admitted to not having a ticket and to intentionally evading TSA officials and Delta employees. Dali also confirmed that surveillance camera images depicted her and that she was aware that her conduct was illegal.
In a statement to Paste BN on Thursday, Delta Airlines expressed gratitude to law enforcement officials in the US and France.
"Our review affirms that Delta’s security infrastructure, as part of our Safety Management System framework, is sound and that deviation from standard procedures is the root cause of this event.," the statement continued. "We are thoroughly addressing this matter and will continue to work closely with our regulators, law enforcement and other relevant stakeholders. Nothing is of greater importance than safety and security.”
Prior kidnapping claims
A week before boarding the flight to Paris, Dali filed two lawsuits, alleging that she was the victim of kidnapping as well as poisoning by chemical agents.
In a civil complaint filed Nov. 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against the FBI, Pennsylvania State Police and two other individuals, Dali claimed that she had been "sold" by the Russian Federation to her ex-husband for $20,000 in 2014. The complaint, handwritten in ink, details multiple instances of abuse and poisoning.
In a second lawsuit, filed Nov. 21 in the District of Columbia District Court, Dali claimed that she had been poisoned in Washington, D.C. by "chemical agents." In both lawsuits, Dali listed a Philadelphia home address.
If convicted, Dali could face up to five years in prison.
Max Hauptman is a Trending Reporter for Paste BN. He can be reached at MHauptman@gannett.com.