(CNN) — A New York Metropolis girl was not too long ago sentenced to 4 months in jail for interference with flight crew members, in keeping with a Division of Justice information launch.
Kelly Pichardo had beforehand pleaded responsible to the cost, which is a Class C felony offense. Pichardo additionally acquired 36 months of supervised launch and was ordered to pay $9,123 restitution to American Airways, the division mentioned within the launch.
The sentence was imposed on August 29, in keeping with court docket paperwork.
“Unruly and intimidating habits,” the discharge says, by Pichardo and her co-defendant on a February 2021 American Airways flight from Dallas to Los Angeles prompted the flight to reroute to Phoenix in order that the 2 might be faraway from the airplane. They have been touring in top quality.
Ana Laura Botello, an lawyer for Pichardo, declined to touch upon the sentencing.
The co-defendant, Leeza S. Rodriguez, is scheduled to be sentenced in November “pursuant to her responsible plea,” the division mentioned.
“There’s a line between boorish habits on an airplane and felony exercise, and the defendant clearly crossed it,” mentioned US Legal professional Gary Restaino within the information launch. “First-class passengers usually are not immune from prosecution.”
The Affiliation of Skilled Flight Attendants, a union representing greater than 20,000 American Airways flight attendants, mentioned the violent habits displayed on the flight diverted to Phoenix “should cease.”
“APFA will proceed collaborating with different flight attendant and customer support agent unions, the Division of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Congress to make sure these offenders are prosecuted to the complete extent of the legislation with applicable fines and felony penalties,” mentioned Julie Hedrick, the union’s nationwide president, in a press release supplied to CNN.
The utmost fantastic for the violation of the Class C felony on this case is $250,000, with a most jail time period of 20 years.
Greater than 1,100 investigations and 350 enforcement actions have been initiated.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with help from the Phoenix Police Division, performed the investigation of the incident involving Pichardo.