A woman caught slipping onto a Delta flight from New York to Paris without a ticket has been found guilty of federal stowaway charges, as confirmed by a Brooklyn jury in May. The 57-year-old Russian citizen and U.S. permanent resident, Svetlana Dali, could face up to six months in prison, though her lawyers declined to comment following the verdict, according to NBC News.
Dali's sentencing is set for Thursday after her conviction last week. She has already served seven months in jail, a period which federal prosecutors believe is adequate, considering the zero to six months range prescribed in her sentencing guidelines. Prosecutors claimed that "Stowaway travel is a serious offense that endangers both the offender and other air passengers," as stated in a sentencing memorandum mentioned by ABC7 New York.
The incident occurred on November 26, 2024, when Dali bypassed boarding pass and identification checkpoints at JFK International Airport. Video evidence shows her tailing a group of travelers through the gate and onto the jet bridge leading to the Paris-bound aircraft. Dali's method of stowaway involved hiding several hours in an airplane bathroom before being discovered as the flight approached its destination. Subsequently, after giving fake names and failing to produce any boarding pass or identification, she was seated in a reserved spot for the crew and later detained upon landing.
Her disruptive behavior delayed two attempts to return her to the United States; however, Dali was eventually flown back on December 4, according to the prosecutors. This was not an isolated attempt at evading airport security, as prosecutors noted Dali's previous attempts to fly as a stowaway, including incidents at Bradley International Airport and Miami International Airport. During her trial, Dali's admission of not having a boarding pass when boarding the flight was a critical piece of self-incriminating evidence, as reported by ABC7 New York.
After an initial release and the subsequent cutting off of her ankle monitor, Dali was re-arrested while trying unsuccessfully to cross into Canada from Buffalo, New York. Dali has been in custody since that arrest. Her motivations for fleeing the U.S. were vaguely illuminated during questioning by the FBI, where she claimed she was escaping individuals who refused to protect her from people she believed were poisoning her, as stated by court documents obtained by NBC News.
