Salt Lake City, Utah – A Texas man was apprehended after attempting to board a Delta Air Lines flight using a photo taken of another passenger’s boarding pass in Salt Lake City on Sunday. Wicliff Yves Fleurizard, 26, now faces stowing away charges, as per a complaint filed in U.S. district court in Utah on Monday.
Before the flight departed from Salt Lake City International Airport, surveillance footage revealed that Fleurizard had been taking pictures of various passengers’ phones and boarding passes without their knowledge. He then utilized his own phone to gain unauthorized access to the flight bound for Austin, Texas, the complaint alleges.
Once on the aircraft, Fleurizard spent an extensive amount of time in the lavatory at the front of the plane while other passengers were boarding. As boarding neared completion, he moved towards the back of the plane and entered the aft lavatory, the complaint stated.
A flight attendant noticed the lack of available seats upon his return and approached Fleurizard for assistance. It was discovered that the seat he claimed – 21F – belonged to another passenger already seated there. After verifying his identity and finding no valid ticket or booking reservation, law enforcement was called, and the plane returned to the gate.
Fleurizard informed authorities that he had been in Park City, Utah, for a snowboarding excursion and urgently needed to return home to his family. He explained that he was initially booked on a Southwest Airlines flight which was overbooked, leading to him being rebooked on the Delta flight.
Currently held at Salt Lake County Metro Jail, Fleurizard is under federal detainment. Delta Air Lines spokesperson Morgan Durrant stated that the airline is cooperating fully with the investigation. Further details about his case, legal representation status, and potential consequences remain undisclosed at this time.