Stowaway Accused of Sneaking on Delta Flight Faces National Security Charges

A stowaway accused of sneaking onto a Delta Air Lines flight by taking a photo of another passenger’s boarding pass has been charged with national security crimes following a federal grand jury trial. The suspect, 26-year-old Wicliff Yves Fleurizard, was discovered after boarding the flight in Salt Lake City and realizing the plane was fully booked with no empty seats.

Fleurizard told law enforcement that he was attempting to travel to Florida using a friend’s buddy pass with Southwest Airlines, but all Southwest flights he tried were full. He then came up with a plan to board a Delta flight without a valid ticket.

Surveillance footage shows Fleurizard taking photos of mobile boarding passes belonging to other passengers in the gate area. He used a photo of a boarding pass belonging to a young girl to get past gate agents and boarded the flight, where he hid in the lavatory to avoid detection.

When Fleurizard exited the lavatory to find a seat, the flight was already taxiing, leaving him with nowhere to sit. A flight attendant noticed the discrepancy, and after checking Delta's reservation system, they realized Fleurizard was not booked on the flight. He was then removed from the aircraft, leading to his arrest and subsequent charges.