DETROIT – A Michigan man who asked two flight attendants for sex in midair, pulled one of them onto his lap, and laid down in the middle of the floor during his very first flight skipped his court appearance, officials said.
James Warren Finnister, 47, of Detroit, was on a Spirit Airlines flight from Louisville, Kentucky, to Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 9, 2024.
Federal officials were called to Gate 23 of the Orlando International Airport at 10 a.m. because of Finnister’s behavior on the plane, they said.
About an hour into the flight, Finnister asked the lead flight attendant if she wanted to join the “mile high club,” according to a criminal complaint unsealed on Jan. 10.
The flight crew said Finnister never sat in his assigned seat of 18D, but after his interaction with the flight attendant, he was moved to seat 22A, which is next to a window.
Later in the flight, Finnister intentionally grabbed a flight attendant, pulled her into his seat, and asked if she wanted to join the “mile high club,” officials said.
The woman freed herself from Finnister’s grip and reported the interaction to her supervisor.
The flight crew said Finnister asked many alarming questions about how to get into the cockpit of the plane.
Finnister also laid down on the floor of the plane in front of his seat after being moved for a third time due to disruptive behavior, officials said. Flight attendants were forced to stop what they were doing to pick Finnister up off the floor.
After the flight -- which took off at 8:11 a.m. -- landed in Orlando at 10:26 a.m., Finnister admitted to Orlando police officers that he took multiple shots of alcohol to calm his nerves before the flight. He said it was his first time flying.
The criminal complaint concludes there’s probable cause that Finnister knowingly interfered with the flight crew’s ability to perform their duties.
If convicted, Finnister faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
A second court document unsealed May 31, 2024, accuses Finnister of failing to appear in court. It says he was taken into custody that day in Southeast Michigan on a bench warrant.
