I’m still thinking about the case of 26-year-old Wicliff Fleurizard, the former Apple engineer charged with “national security crimes” for sneaking onboard a Delta Air Lines flight using someone else’s boarding pass. If that was a national security crime, should “serial stowaway” Marilyn Hartman be labeled Tokyo Rose?
If Wicliff Fleurizard Is A National Security Threat, Why Not Marilyn Hartman?
I detailed the maneuvers that Fleurizard went through to try to get from Salt Lake City to Austin, including surreptitiously photographing the boarding pass of an unsuspecting Delta passenger and then using the image of that boarding pass to board that Delta flight. He got caught when every seat filled up, leaving him (like a game of musical chairs) with no place to sit down.
He was arrested and per a Department of Justice press release was charged with “national security crimes” including stowaway on an aircraft, and access device fraud.
I realize that part of this might just be puffery from the DOJ…exaggeration is common among most press releases after all…but if Fleurizard is guilty of national security crimes, where does that leave Marilyn Hartman?
The folk hero has been busted numerous times for trying to board a flight without a ticket. In every instance, she was somehow able to navigate through airport security checkpoints without identification. Is that not a “national security crime” by DOJ’s grossly wide definition?
You could say that Hartman was mentally deranged and Fleurizard was not, but are national security crimes really dependent upon specific intent or mental sanity? Or is the “national security” crime the fact that an unauthorized person boarded an airplane? Because if the latter, then it is hard to argue that there is an insanity defense.
CONCLUSION
My point here isn’t to pick on Hartman or defend Fleurizard, but to further point out the absurdity of the DOJ labeling the latter case as anything other than a case of fraud by a “not the sharpest tool in the shed” plebe who did not want to pay for an airline ticket…
image: Cook County Sheriff’s Office
Oh I see where you’re trying to stretch this to….
Look, maybe its because she’s a woman. She’s just using her P.P.
Ever think that the Biden DOJ just HATES men?
I’d go as far as agreeing with you that both people should be classified the same in a perfect world. In my opinion though she’s just crazy in a non-destructive fashion. If you were so inclined you could even argue that her lunacy is beneficial to society because she shows us what we need to improve in our airport security.
As far as the guy goes, does anybody truly think that he’s going to be tried in court as a national security threat? Anyone? Anybody? I thought not. The guy is a prize weasel but he’s not going to be spending the next 20 years down the hall from El Chapo. The government just wants to make a lot of noise in order to dissuade other people from doing the same thing.
Its because she’s a femoid.
Femoids live life on easy mode and aren’t expected to be held accountable for anything.
Grandma does it for the trill…and needs mental help!! I understand there’s a resurgence in shock therapy. That should solve her problem!!
The gentlemen made a deliberate move (via photo of boarding pass) for ill gotten financial gain.
What bothers me is the failure of Delta gate agents to raise the red flag and Delta is culpable and knows it!!
Just think how many have done this without detection!!
If someone’s son, daughter, spouse or relative had been aboard and this gentleman caused a disturbance or harm after finding an empty seat, the blog thread would be miles long.
Hello Matt.
In discussions such as this, it’s interesting to actually go to the source materials and see what’s going on. I went to the links in your original article and found this quote from the Fed DA:
“A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment charging a Texas man for national security crimes…”
OK, so what does that MEAN exactly? I went to the PDF of the specific charges and didn’t see actual “national security” mentioned in there. Perhaps some press agent got overly excited?
COUNTl
Case: 2:24-cr-00133
Assigned To : Barlow, David
Assign. Date : 4/16/2024
18 u.s.c. § 2199
(Stowaway on Aircraft)
COUNT2
18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(l)
(Access Device Fraud)
COUNT2 is the interesting portion of the complaint. Looking it up: “18 U.S.C. § 1029(a)(1) is a section of the U.S. Code that deals with fraud and related activity involving access devices. It states that it is against federal law to knowingly and fraudulently use access devices without authorization. The offenses include:
Knowingly and with intent to defraud producing, using, or trafficking in a counterfeit access device
Possessing 15 or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices”
An attorney might argue that he didn’t access other people’s devices but merely took photos and presented a photo to another device. His behavior was equivalent to using a photocopy of a boarding pass to commit fraud. It depends upon how open minded the judge would be in this case to consider that the intent and wording of this code doesn’t apply here.
In any case, perhaps the press release is an unintentional red herring?
Yes, crimes are in fact dependent on intent genius. Also consider that Fleurizard essentially stole a boarding pass from another passenger. His victim certainly had their travel disrupted and would have been held up by gate agents as boarding passes would not scan twice. This is unnaceptable and I’m not sure why you are justifying the actions of and advocating on behalf of a criminal, unless you are one of those “abolish prision” nutjobs…
You don’t think Hartman’s crime was one of intent? She had no idea what she was doing?
I’m not justifying the action of this thug, or of Hartman. He should be held fully accountable for his poor choice.