U.S. Department of Justice
Federal Bureau of Investigation
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U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation |
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| In Reply, Please Refer to Release No. |
219 South Dearborn Street Chicago, Illinois 60604 |
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January 31, 2003 Wisconsin Man Arrested Following Assault on Flight Crew Thomas J. Kneir, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced today the arrest of BENJAMIN M. GALL, age 24, of Baraboo, Wisconsin. GALL was arrested early yesterday evening, without incident, by FBI Special Agents and Officers from the Chicago Police Department at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. GALL is expected to be charged in a criminal complaint filed later today in U.S. District Court in Chicago with one count of Interference with a Flight Crew, which is a felony offense. It is alleged that GALL, who was a passenger on Lot Polish Airways flight #1 which provided non-stop service from Warsaw to Chicago, became intoxicated and unruly during the flight. When flight crew members attempted to calm GALL down, he physically assaulted one of the pilots and several passengers. GALL was not restrained and the plane landed safely and without further incident, as scheduled, at O'Hare airport. GALL is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin C. Ashman in Chicago at 3:00 PM today, at which time he will be formally charged. If convicted of this offense, GALL faces a possible sentence of up to 20 years' incarceration. The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt and that all defendants in a criminal case are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. EDITOR's NOTE: A copy of the complaint filed against GALL will be available from the Chicago FBI Press Office at (312) 786-2645. |
