A 72-year-old man from Mercer Island, Washington, received a sentence of 10 years of supervised release and two years of home incarceration for sexual assault of a minor aboard an airplane. Munir Walji was convicted following a jury trial in September 2024 and faced the judgment in U.S. District Court in Seattle, reports the U.S. Attorney's Office.
During the trial, it was revealed that on a Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta to Seattle, Walji initiated unwanted physical contact with a 15-year-old girl who was seated next to him. As the flight approached Seattle, the girl, awakened by Walji’s touch, attempted to withdraw but Walji’s advances grew bolder, he unbuckled her seat belt and reached inside her pants. Upon her objection, Walji ceased his actions. The flight attendants were summoned and seated the girl and her mother elsewhere. U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman condemned Walji's actions, saying, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, "This is shocking conduct that traumatized the victim and impacted her family."
At the sentencing, U.S. District Judge Tana Lin stated that Walji’s behavior "called for a term of incarceration." However, considering Walji's severe health issues, the judge expressed concern that imprisonment might equate to a death sentence. "But for your medical conditions I would impose a prison sentence. But I am deeply concerned that a prison sentence would be a death sentence," Judge Lin said. Walji, who suffers from blood cancer and reduced lung function, requires a cocktail of 20 medications daily, and his attorneys argued that imprisonment could be life-threatening for him.
Prosecutors had argued for a 30-month sentence by federal pretrial officers' recommendation. "Despite Walji’s history of family support, opportunity, and career success, he chose to engage in behavior worthy of society’s condemnation," the prosecution argued, as cited by the U.S. Attorney's Office. However, prosecutor Laura Harmon noted uncertainty about whether the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) could accommodate Walji's medical needs despite BOP having high-level medical care facilities for cancer patients. A $5,000 fine was also levied on Walji, and he was ordered to register as a sex offender.
