David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, along with P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI, announced the arrest and charge of Julius Jordan Priester from Wichita, Kansas. The 24-year-old faces a federal criminal complaint following an incident involving a flight crew member on a recent flight.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Priester was aboard American Airlines Flight 3359 on May 27, 2025. The flight had departed Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut at around 9:30 p.m., heading towards Chicago. During the journey, approximately half an hour to an hour into the flight, Priester reportedly stood up and began removing his shirt before running to the back of the plane shouting “Help me.” He then allegedly grabbed a seated flight attendant and shouted “you’re coming with me,” forcibly bringing them to the ground and attempting to drag them up the aisle.
Passengers intervened and returned Priester to his seat where he continued acting erratically while making incoherent statements. Due to this disturbance, the captain declared an emergency leading to a diversion back to Bradley Airport. Upon landing safely, Priester was removed by Connecticut State Police and taken by ambulance for evaluation at a local hospital.
Priester appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford today and is currently detained pending a bond hearing set for May 30. He faces charges related to interference with flight crew members and attendants which could result in up to 20 years imprisonment if convicted.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan emphasized that “a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt,” reminding that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with support from Connecticut State Police while Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel prosecutes this case.
