A Spirit Airlines pilot has been arrested and charged with stalking two teenagers, according to a criminal complaint filed on July 11. Dominic A Cipolla, 40, was taken into custody at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport on June 17 and later transferred to Johnson County, Kansas, on August 2. He was released after posting $12,500 bail and is due to appear in court on August 12.
The charges, which originate in Johnson County, Kansas, involve alleged victims aged 12 and 17. The charge related to the younger victim is a felony, carrying a potential sentence of one to three years in prison. The other charge is a misdemeanour, punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 or up to a year in jail. Few details of the alleged crimes have been released.
Cipolla, who resides in Kansas City, Missouri, joined Spirit Airlines in 2022 and previously served in the US military. Spirit Airlines confirmed that it was aware of the matter and stated that the pilot was removed from duty pending an investigation. The airline arranged for another pilot to operate the flight.
This incident follows another recent sex-crime arrest involving a Spirit Airlines passenger. John Daniel Fowler, 65, a registered sex offender from Indiana, was charged with abusive sexual contact after allegedly groping a 17-year-old girl during a flight. If convicted, he faces up to three years in federal prison, with a possible 10-year enhancement for committing a crime while on the sex offender registry.
