SALT LAKE CITY — A man is accused of trying to stow away on a flight bound for Austin from Salt Lake City last weekend using a boarding pass that wasn’t his. And now, we’re seeing new airport video obtained by CBS News.
According to court records, Wicliff Yves Fleurizard, 26, already had standby ticket on Southwest to fly back home to Texas from his snowboarding trip in Salt Lake City. It's the ticket he used to get past TSA.
But when he learned those Southwest flights were full, he found a Delta flight set to depart for Austin.
Newly obtained airport security video by CBS News captured him allegedly snapping pictures of boarding passes.
"It's clear that there were security gaps in place here,” said CBS News national security contributor Sam Vinograd. “And it's critical that the aircraft company, the aircraft carrier, take steps to address them immediately in close coordination with federal authorities."
Once he got on the plane, court documents state he hid in the bathroom until the plane left the gate. He came out before the plane took off, but the flight was full, so every seat was taken.
That’s when flight attendants realized he was on the flight illegally. The plane returned to the gate, where police were waiting for the suspected stowaway.
The man now faces up to five years in jail if he’s convicted of the felony charges.