David X. Sullivan, the United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, have announced the arrest and charging of Julius Jordan Priester. The 24-year-old Wichita, Kansas resident faces federal charges related to an alleged assault on a flight crew member.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Priester was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 3359 from Bradley International Airport to Chicago on May 27, 2025. Approximately thirty minutes to an hour into the flight, Priester reportedly stood up, began removing his shirt, and ran to the back of the plane shouting “Help me.” He allegedly grabbed a seated flight attendant, shouted “you’re coming with me,” and forced her to the ground before attempting to drag her up the aisle. Passengers intervened and returned Priester to his seat where he continued acting erratically.
The flight captain declared an emergency and diverted back to Bradley Airport. Upon landing safely, Priester was removed by Connecticut State Police and taken by ambulance for evaluation at a local hospital.
Priester appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford today and is detained pending a bond hearing scheduled for May 30. He is charged with interference with flight crew members and attendants, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan emphasized that a complaint is merely a charge and not evidence of guilt; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Connecticut State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel is prosecuting the case.
