A Puerto Rican man was sentenced on July 31 in federal court in Boston after pleading guilty to damaging an aircraft by opening an emergency exit door while aboard a JetBlue flight preparing for takeoff from Boston to Puerto Rico.
Angel Luis Morales Torres, 25, received a sentence of one year of probation and was ordered to pay approximately $60,000 in restitution. Morales Torres had pleaded guilty in May 2026 to one count of damaging or disabling an aircraft. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, on Jan. 7, 2025, Morales Torres was a passenger on a JetBlue flight scheduled from Boston to Puerto Rico. While the plane was on the taxiway preparing for departure, he stood up from his seat, ran down the aisle into an empty emergency exit row and began attempting to open the emergency exit door. A flight attendant tried to restrain him before another passenger tackled him. Before being restrained, Morales managed to open the emergency door and deploy the inflatable slide, rendering the aircraft inoperable.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Boston Division, announced the sentencing. The Massachusetts State Police provided special assistance during the case’s investigation and prosecution by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Criminal Division.
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts is part of the United States Department of Justice and enforces federal laws through prosecutions including national security threats and civil rights violations; it serves all residents across Massachusetts with offices at several locations including Springfield and Worcester; employs over 200 attorneys and staff; and advances community initiatives on civil rights and violence prevention, according to the official website.