A woman who snuck aboard a Delta flight from JFK Airport to Paris was released from federal custody — under several conditions — after being charged on Friday.
Svetlana Dali, 57 appeared in federal court and was charged with one count of being a stowaway on a aircraft or vessel without consent. She could be sentenced to up to five years in prison if convicted.
Judge Joseph Marutollo laid out the ground rules for Dali’s release without bail, which included her not going to airports, submitting to mandatory GPS monitoring, surrendering any travel documents and not leaving the area where she is staying — or facing charges upon failing to abide by these conditions. She must also adhere to a curfew and be evaluated and submit to any recommended mental health treatment, according to CNN.
“The charge in this case — being a stowaway — is a relatively minor charge. I’d liken it to a theft of service or jumping a turnstile,” Michael Schneider, of the Federal Defenders, told Magistrate Judge Robert Levy on Thursday at Dali’s arraignment.
“I will note for the benefit of the press, she did pass through security . . . so there doesn’t appear to be any risk that she smuggled anything onto the plane,” Schneider added.
Judge Marutollo was hesitant, raising concerns about releasing Dali, according to CNN. Marutollo noted that Dali could still be able to travel without documents — as she has already done — plus the issue of no third party taking legal responsibility for her. An acquaintance of Dali told the court he was willing to let her stay with him in Philadelphia since she had no other place of residence.
Prosecutor Theodora Brooke, meanwhile, said she believed Dali posed a “risk of flight” and challenged Schneider’s characterization of the charge as being merely minor. Brooke said the incident was a security breach that raised issues of national security and safety.
At JFK, Dali was able to slip through a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint, plus the airline’s boarding gate check, to get onto Delta Flight 264 to Charles de Gaulle Airport in the City of Light.
The ticket-averse flier admitted to authorities that she had stowed away and looked for opportunities to elude TSA officials and Delta agents when she knew they would ask for her boarding pass.
Once under arrest in Paris, Dali asked for asylum, but was denied on Thanksgiving Day. Dali, who holds a Russian passport, requested asylum in France a few years earlier but was denied, Paris officials told CNN.
She was supposed to return to the U.S. on Nov. 30 after being taken into custody in France, CNN reported, but she became unruly and started screaming, causing her return trip to be rescheduled.
Originally Published:
