A 32-year-old has been ordered to pay nearly $60,000 after sneaking onto an American Airlines flight and causing it to be canceled, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
Jonathan Beaulieu pleaded guilty in February over the incident that occurred in June 2024 at Philadelphia International Airport.
A security guard, referred to only as J.M., said that shortly after midnight, Beaulieu approached the TSA exit lane and claimed that he had left his phone in the airport terminal.
The guard then contacted the police dispatcher, who replied that the police weren’t able to search for Beaulieu’s phone. Meanwhile, he started to walk past the security guard and into the airport.
As the guard repeatedly told him he couldn’t enter the airport, Beaulieu is said to have dropped a $50 bill on her desk. She again called the police, and after a few minutes of arguing, Beaulieu walked past her and into the airport.
Police officers started searching the terminals, but by the time they realized where Beaulieu was, he had already managed to board a plane at Gate A-20.
The American Airlines jet had already pushed back and was preparing for departure when the captain was informed that a passenger had bypassed security.
After the plane returned to the gate, all passengers were removed, and Beaulieu was arrested.
The fact that he had boarded without being screened by the TSA meant the whole plane had to be searched due to possible security risks, leading to the flight being canceled.
American Airlines reported that the cancellation cost $59,143, which Beaulieu was ordered to pay back in restitution.
He was also sentenced to a year of probation for one count of evading airport security.
American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider.
