Suspected JFK stowaway pleads not guilty to federal charge, ordered held without bail
NEW YORK -- The woman accused of sneaking onto a flight in New York City last year pleaded not guilty to a federal stowaway charge in a Brooklyn court Wednesday. She was ordered held without bail.
Svetlana Dali was indicted by a grand jury in the Eastern District of New York earlier this week.
Prosecutors say Dali snuck onto a Delta flight at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Nov. 26, 2024 -- during the Thanksgiving travel rush -- and flew to Paris. She was taken into custody by French authorities once the plane landed at Charles de Gaulle Airport.
The 57-year-old later had to be removed from her return flight because of a disturbance before takeoff. She eventually returned to New York in December.
Dali was released on bail, then re-arrested on Dec. 16 in Buffalo when prosecutors say she removed her GPS monitoring device and tried to cross the border into Canada. She has since been held at the federal Brooklyn Detention Center, along with other high-profile figures like Sean "Diddy" Combs and suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione.
Prosecutors, lawyer for Dali working on plea deal
Prosecutors and a lawyer for Dali said Wednesday they'll try to work out a plea deal for her.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Theodora told a New York federal court that prosecutors hope to "engage seriously in plea negotiations" regarding Dali. Her attorney, Michael Schneider, said he'd participate in those discussions and "try to take care of this case prior to a trial."
He said he also aimed to get an evaluation of Dali's mental health.