The FBI is investigating an incident Sunday in which a man allegedly took a photo of another person's boarding pass in order to illegally board a Delta flight, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Utah.
According to the complaint, officers removed a passenger, identified as Wycliffe Eve Fulllizard, of George, Texas, from Flight 1683, which was departing Salt Lake City for Austin, Texas.
Fleurizal was arrested on a charge of stowing away on a ship or aircraft, a felony that could result in a fine and/or imprisonment of up to five years.
Surveillance footage from the boarding area showed Fulllizard taking cell phone photos of multiple passengers “while they were not looking,” according to the complaint. A Delta gate agent interviewed said there was a problem when a minor female passenger traveling alone tried to scan her ticket, and the system showed she was already on board.
As the plane prepared for takeoff, Fleurizal spent “a significant amount of time in the lavatory” at the front of the plane before moving to the rear lavatory.
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While taxiing, the flight attendant noticed that there were “no seats available” and asked Full Rizal for assistance. He told her that her seat was on the 21st floor, but her flight attendant confirmed that the seat was not in Fleurizal's name.
Flight attendants looked up Fleurizal's real name but were unable to find a valid ticket or reservation for him in guest services tools. Since Fleurizal was not allowed to board the plane, the plane returned to the gate and Fleurizal was escorted off the plane.
According to the complaint, Furlizard told officers that he was in Utah on a snowboarding trip and “needed to get home to see his family who flew in from Florida,” and told officers that he was at a friend's home on Saturday. He added that he tried using his Southwest Airlines buddy passes, but none of them worked. The flight is booked. He took Southwest Airlines to get through security.
“Fullizard admitted he had made a mistake and was simply trying to go home,” the complaint states.
Delta Air Lines said it is “cooperating with law enforcement and relevant federal agencies regarding the investigation.”
The plane landed in Austin 30 minutes later than its scheduled arrival time. Fulllizard is being held in federal custody at the Salt Lake County Metro Jail.
Last month, a woman reportedly boarded an American Airlines flight from Nashville, Tennessee, to Los Angeles through an unmanned security checkpoint without a boarding pass. She was immediately greeted by police upon arrival.
Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. Please contact kwong@usatoday.com..
