Wilkinsburg Resident Sentenced Following Guilty Plea for Stealing from Another Passenger During Flight

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on April 7, 2026, to a charge of theft on an aircraft and was sentenced to one year of supervised release, including 90 days of home detention, and ordered to pay a $250 fine, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.

United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Jaymer Ferrell, 23.

According to information presented to the Court, on April 9, 2025, the Allegheny County Police Department was called about an unruly passenger vaping on a Pittsburgh-bound flight from Los Angeles, California. A flight attendant told investigators that he had observed the passenger, Ferrell, vaping and going through numerous bags in the overhead bins during the flight. Based on Ferrell's behavior over the course of the hours-long flight, the attendant believed that Ferrell had stolen from other passengers' luggage.

Upon arrival at Pittsburgh International Airport, Ferrell was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant, and found in possession of a backpack containing the wallet, debit card, and credit cards of another passenger on the flight.

Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.

United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Allegheny County Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Ferrell.