A Russian national with a U.S. green card who sneaked onto a Paris-bound flight at JFK Airport on Tuesday could face a litany of state and federal charges once she’s returned to the United States.
Her immigration status could also be at risk. The Transportation Security Administration, or TSA, said it is reviewing how the woman was able to evade security.
For now, the stowaway is being held in custody in France after creating a disturbance on a flight that was supposed to have returned her to New York City on Saturday, according to Delta Air Lines.
Boarding an international flight without a ticket is a federal criminal offense. The crime is also considered theft, which could result in state charges. Evading airport security could bring state and federal felony charges as well.
The Queens district attorney’s office declined to comment on whether it plans to bring charges in the case.
Penalties could include fines, imprisonment and a ban on travel, according to the federal Department of Transportation. Interfering with airport security screening has a fine of up to nearly $6,000. A criminal conviction is also grounds for stripping a U.S. resident of their green card.
The woman was physically screened after she entered JFK Airport and was not found with any prohibited items, according to an emailed statement from TSA spokesperson David Fitz. But he said she then bypassed two checkpoints for verifying passengers’ identities and boarding status before boarding a Delta flight.
“TSA will independently review the circumstances of this incident at our travel document checker station at JFK,” Fitz said.
A spokesperson for Delta said the airline is also launching its own investigation into how a passenger without a ticket was able to board one of its flights.
