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Devender Singh, 62, an Indian national who lives in Baton Rouge, was arrested and taken into custody by FBI agents at Newark Liberty International Airport after his flight arrived on March 2, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman said.
Fishman said Singh was “seated next to a woman who occupied a window seat on a United Airlines flight from Houston to Newark. While the plane was in the air, the woman fell asleep. She awoke to find Singh kissing her face with his hand inside her shirt.”
Singh was also touching his exposed penis, he said.
“After pushing Singh off of her and telling him to get away, the woman went to the back of the plane and told a flight crew member what had happened, asking that the police be present when the plane landed,” Fishman said.
FOR A COPY OF THE FEDERAL COMPLAINT, CLICK THE IMAGE:
The federal government has exclusive jurisdiction over all sexual abuse cases that occur on aircraft in flight in the U.S.
The maximum fine for a conviction in such a case is two years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing was set for Oct. 23.
Fishman credited the FBI and the Port Authority Police Department.
Handling the case for the government is J. Jamari Buxton of Fishman’s General Crimes Unit in Newark.
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