A woman previously convicted of stowing away on a flight to Paris has been arrested again after allegedly boarding a United Airlines flight from Newark to Milan without a ticket. Svetlana Dali was taken into custody at Milan's airport while still serving probation for her 2024 conviction.
A repeat stowaway offender has been taken into custody in Italy after allegedly boarding another international flight without authorization, this time traveling from Newark, New Jersey to Milan.
Svetlana Dali was apprehended Thursday at Milan’s Malpensa Airport following the unauthorized journey on a United Airlines aircraft, according to a law enforcement source who requested anonymity due to the ongoing investigation.
The arrest marks another violation for Dali, who received a conviction earlier in 2024 for illegally traveling to Paris without proper documentation or a valid ticket.
FBI representative Emily Molinari confirmed that the Newark field office has knowledge of “the alleged stowaway” situation but withheld further details. Molinari stated the bureau is collaborating with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees Newark Liberty International Airport, along with the Transportation Security Administration regarding “this open investigation.”
United Airlines acknowledged the breach, stating the company is “investigating this incident and working with the appropriate authorities.”
Michael K. Schneider, serving as Dali’s federal public defender and handling her appeal from previous charges, refused to provide comment Thursday. He also would not discuss whether Dali had completed a required mental health assessment as mandated by her supervised release terms.
“I can’t comment on what she’s done since her release. My office is handling the appeal, which is still pending,” Schneider stated.
Dali’s May 2025 conviction stemmed from bypassing security protocols and airline personnel at John F. Kennedy International Airport before illegally boarding a New York to Paris flight.
Security footage captured Dali, a Russian national with U.S. residency status, blending with legitimate passengers to evade Delta Air Lines staff detection. During court proceedings, Dali admitted to boarding the aircraft without presenting a boarding pass. Prosecutors revealed she concealed herself in an aircraft restroom for multiple hours before discovery as the plane approached Paris.
Following her return to New York, Dali informed an FBI agent she felt compelled to flee the United States due to her belief that individuals were attempting to poison her, court records indicate.
Prior to this recent incident, Dali remained under a one-year supervised release period after receiving a time-served sentence last July. Standard probation terms prohibited her from departing the designated federal judicial district without obtaining prior court or probation officer approval. Additional requirements included undergoing mental health evaluation and participating in treatment if determined necessary.
Federal prosecutors previously stated Dali circumvented security protocols at two additional airports before the JFK breach, with suspicions she may have successfully stowed away on other flights.
Two days before the Paris flight incident, she managed to pass through TSA security at Bradley International Airport near Hartford, Connecticut, by concealing herself among other travelers. Officials reported she made an unsuccessful boarding attempt before departing the facility.
In February 2024, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found Dali hiding in a restroom at Miami International Airport, according to prosecutors. She was removed from the airport after agents could not verify her claim of arriving on an Air France flight.
While federal investigators made no official determination that Dali illegally traveled as a stowaway to Miami, prosecutors noted her statements to law enforcement following her Paris arrest suggested she had entered Miami through illegal means.