BUFFALO, NY – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Neil McCarthy, 25, of Oregon, was arrested and charged with indecent exposure following an incident on an American Airlines flight. The charge carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, on July 3, 2024, the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority (NFTA) Police were called to Gate 2 at Buffalo Niagara International Airport in response to a report from an American Airlines flight. The flight, originally destined for Manchester, New Hampshire, was diverted to Buffalo after McCarthy allegedly exposed himself and urinated in the aisle of the aircraft. Upon landing, an officer boarded the plane and confirmed the incident with a flight attendant. McCarthy was subsequently taken into custody and escorted off the plane.
McCarthy made an initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was released on his own recognizance.
The complaint resulted from an investigation by the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority Police, led by Chief Brian Patterson, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.