Buster

Airborne Groping Of Flight Attendant Lands Man Behind Bars

A passenger who was flying from London to New York is facing a federal criminal charge after he allegedly placed his hand up the skirt of a flight attendant and “grabbed her genital area” and “began to run his fingers back and forth,” according to an FBI agent.

The incident, which occurred Thursday on a British Airways flight bound for John F. Kennedy International Airport, resulted in the arrest of Iurii Chumak, 53.

In a misdemeanor criminal complaint excerpted here, FBI Agent Thais Canin reported that the flight attendant has just provided coffee to Chumak when she turned away from him to serve other passengers across the aisle in row 42. As she “bent over slighty” to pour coffee, Chumak allegedly groped her.

A second flight attendant, Canin added, saw Chumak “grab the first flight attendant’s genital area” and immediately approached the passenger and placed him in restraints. The second attendant told the FBI that a male passenger had previously complained that Chumak--drinking from a bottle of Dewar’s--had “bothered and verbally abused” his wife.

When questioned by federal agents after the plane arrived in New York, Chumak said he “was drinking on the airplane, fell asleep, and woke up in restraints.” Chumak appeared Saturday in U.S. District Court for arraignment, and was ordered held on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer.

Comments (77)

The other flight attendant saw the man grab her genital area, what, was she lying on the floor looking up or did she have mirrors glued to the tips of her shoes, just asking.
i wonder if some of you would think this was a joke if it had been your daughter this happened to...
A felony for groping? Have you noticed that in America, we are criminalizing the law? In other words, because of media hype, and the availability of information, many of us freak over our increased awareness of the real world. Then, many of us scream that xyz should be illegal!!!!!!! Or, we scream that xyz should be more illegal. So, every time you step out of line, the man comes and takes you away. And, you are charged with a felony for something that really isn't that terrible. But, everybody has a voice now, and all the freaky, hyper sensitive types squeal the loudest, and as you know, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Of course, its not cool for a guy to stick his hand up a girls dress, but making such an event a felony that takes away that persons right to vote, and many other rights is just plain stupid. Hell, he will probably have to put a sign in his yard just like Barney's Frank.
Isn't terrible? What kind of twisted person are you? When you touch another person without permission, you are taking away that person's right to privacy, their right to be secure in their person, their right to free association and their right to be free from assault so why shouldn't the purpetrator have their rights stripped as punishment? Sounds a lot like justice to me. Here's a hint: Don't violate another's rights and you won't have to worry about yours getting taken away.
Let me guess... You're ex-con.
It is that terrible. Sexual assult is more then a party foul.
Really? If you "Tracey1212" are a man and this happened to your daughter, sister, wife, mother...then how would you feel?
TSG please remove this story.... it is not funny or quirky, not even that unusual, it's just sad doesn't belong here
I thought pot heads were supposed to have a distorted sense of humor. For someone who has now been a member for 30 minutes it's a little early to be demanding things. You could always step away from the comuter and come back a day from now.
I said please