WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A magistrate judge has released on $25,000 bond the passenger who allegedly threatened to bring down an American Airlines flight after being refused a beer.
Thirty-eight-year-old Jason Baroletti of Holbrook, New York, was ordered on Friday as one of his release conditions not to travel by commercial airline. He is also is not to use alcohol while he awaits trial on one count of interfering with the performance of a flight crew.
The disruption caused American Airlines to divert a Phoenix-to-New York flight Tuesday evening to Wichita, Kansas.
An FBI affidavit contends an inflight dispute escalated after he was forbidden to smoke an electronic cigarette. Baroletti became agitated and allegedly threatened to kill a passenger after flight attendants refused to serve him beer, which he claimed he needed for anxiety.
