A Great Neck jeweler who makes his living in Manhattan’s Diamond District is headed to federal prison for six months after admitting he inappropriately touched a sleeping passenger on an overnight flight from Phoenix to John F. Kennedy International Airport. Uriel Kaykov pleaded guilty last year to abusive sexual contact and assault, both misdemeanors, and received the maximum term allowed. Prosecutors told the court they pushed for the top sentence to send a clear message about in‑flight sexual misconduct.
How prosecutors say it unfolded
According to prosecutors, the incident took place on June 15, 2022, after a 26‑year‑old woman fell asleep following a youth ministry retreat. They say Kaykov switched into the middle seat next to her and, while she slept, put his hand on her and rubbed her genital area over her clothing. The woman reported the contact to a flight attendant and was moved to another seat, according to News12.
Victim impact
“I have had regular nightmares reliving that moment,” the victim wrote, saying the assault left her anxious and unable to sleep and that it has permanently altered her sense of safety. Her written impact statement was entered into the court record and read aloud at sentencing, News12 reported.
Federal case and court record
Kaykov was charged on Dec. 9, 2024, and pleaded guilty in August 2025. The case is listed on the Eastern District of New York docket as USA v. Kaykov, 24‑cr‑00504. The court calendar shows hearings in the matter in May 2026, according to public records maintained by the United States District Court, Eastern District of New York.
Prosecutors’ push and the broader trend
At sentencing, prosecutors argued for an incarceratory term to make clear that predatory conduct on flights will carry meaningful consequences, pointing to how late‑night, dark cabins and the distance from help can leave victims especially vulnerable. Federal figures show a notable number of in‑flight sexual assault investigations in recent years, including more than 100 such probes in 2024, a trend the government and law‑enforcement partners have highlighted, according to the FBI.
What this means
The six‑month jail term is the statutory maximum for the misdemeanor abusive sexual contact conviction Kaykov pleaded to, and it leaves him with a federal criminal record. Survivors’ advocates say cases like this underscore both how isolated victims can be on overnight flights and the challenges of pursuing justice after an airborne assault.
