Video captures accused stowaway boarding flight from NYC to Paris

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“Delta brokers, who had been busy serving to ticketed passengers board, didn’t cease her or ask her to current a boarding go earlier than she boarded the airplane,” charging paperwork say.

New surveillance video exhibits Svetlana Dali, a 57-year-old lady accused of hiding on a Delta Airways flight from New York to Paris final yr, efficiently going by way of airport safety earlier than boarding.

The video obtained by USA TODAY exhibits Dali, who seems to be sporting a black jacket, gray hoodie, blue denims and carrying a brown bookbag on her again, strolling all through John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport in New York Metropolis on Nov. 26, 2024.

Dali, a U.S. everlasting resident initially from Russia, is seen within the video going by way of a TSA screening machine and being patted down by an agent earlier than bypassing gate attendants whereas strolling with a big group of passengers.

“Delta brokers, who had been busy serving to ticketed passengers board, didn’t cease her or ask her to current a boarding go earlier than she boarded the airplane,” in keeping with federal charging paperwork.

TSA spokesperson David Fitz beforehand instructed USA TODAY that the Dali was “bodily screened with none prohibited gadgets,” earlier than she “bypassed two identification verification and boarding standing stations, and boarded the plane” regardless of not having a boarding go.

Dali was ultimately arrested in December 2024 in Buffalo, New York, earlier than she may get on a bus touring to Canada. She was subsequently charged with knowingly stowing away overseas an plane with out consent. She pleaded not responsible to the costs.

USA TODAY contacted Dali’s federal public defender on Wednesday however has not acquired a response.

Delta defends ‘safety infrastructure’

When contacted by USA TODAY on April 23, the main airline emailed the identical assertion from December 2024, which says, “Our assessment affirms that Delta’s safety infrastructure, as a part of our Security Administration System framework, is sound and that deviation from normal procedures is the basis explanation for this occasion.”

“As nothing is of better significance than security and safety, we’ll proceed to work intently with our regulators, regulation enforcement and different related stakeholders,” the assertion continued.

USA TODAY contacted the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey on Wednesday however didn’t obtain an instantaneous response.

What did Svetlana Dali inform FBI officers?

When Dali spoke to FBI officers after being returned to the U.S. by French regulation enforcement on Dec. 4, she admitted to not having a airplane ticket and to deliberately evading TSA brokers and Delta workers, in keeping with charging paperwork. She additionally confirmed that the surveillance digital camera photographs had been of her and that she knew that her actions had been unlawful.

Passengers observed Dali hiding within the bathroom through the flight, and as soon as the crew turned conscious of her presence, they notified French authorities, CNN reported.

Dali was initially turned away by a TSA agent after she was unable to point out a boarding go, however a couple of minutes later, she was capable of get previous the safety checkpoint by “getting into by way of a particular lane for airline workers masked by a big Air Europa flight crew,” in keeping with the charging paperwork.

A trial date for Dali has not been set, however she was ordered to stay in Philadelphia and undergo GPS monitoring, a psychological well being analysis and give up any journey paperwork, court docket data present.

Contributing: Gabe Hauari, Saman Shafiq, Taylor Ardrey and Max Hauptman/ USA TODAY