A Wilkinsburg man who disrupted a flight from Los Angeles to Pittsburgh by rummaging through other passengers’ luggage and stealing a wallet will serve one year of supervised release.
Jaymer Ferrell, 23, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to one count of theft on an aircraft.
As part of his supervised release, he must serve 90 days of home detention. Ferrell also was ordered by U.S. District Judge Mark R. Hornak to pay a $250 fine.
According to prosecutors, Ferrell was on an April 9, 2025, Breeze Airlines flight from L.A. to Pittsburgh when he became unruly. Allegheny County Police were called to the airport to meet the plane around 8:20 p.m.
They were told a passenger had disregarded flight attendants’ instructions, vaped on the plane, had a domestic dispute, rummaged through other passengers’ bags and was throwing items around the cabin.
Officers took Ferrell and the woman he was with off the plane. According to the police report, the woman took Ferrell’s cell phone into the plane’s bathroom and returned 15 minutes later, having gone through his text messages with other women.
Ferrell became angry and knocked her glasses off her face, the woman told police. She also told police Ferrell had assaulted her at a McDonald’s in L.A. and was arrested there for domestic battery.
A flight attendant told police that Ferrell was seen going through multiple bags in the overhead bins during the flight and claimed he was looking for his wallet.
A passenger, who had given up his seat to allow Ferrell and his girlfriend to sit together, told police his wallet had been stolen.
When officers searched Ferrell, they found a green Coach wallet belonging to that passenger, the police report said.
After Ferrell was arrested and taken to the Allegheny County Jail, he attempted to assault a guard and was shocked with a Taser, prosecutors said.
The defense argued Ferrell’s actions that day were driven by drug addiction. Since his arrest, according to his lawyer, he has gotten treatment and has tested negative for illegal substances ever since.
Ferrell is working as a delivery driver.
Although the government acknowledged Ferrell’s addiction, Assistant U.S. Attorney V. Joseph Sonson said it does not excuse his behavior.
“The victim in this case made a nice gesture and agreed to switch seats with the defendant so he could sit next to his girlfriend during the flight. The defendant repaid the victim’s act of kindness by rummaging through his belongings and stealing his wallet,” Sonson wrote in a court filing.
According to the government, Ferrell has no serious criminal convictions but has been arrested six times, including on charges of attempted murder by Aliquippa police, as well as robbery, strangulation and domestic violence.
“(W)ith the recent uptick in disruptions on airplanes throughout the nation, it is important for the court to send a message that this behavior will not be tolerated,” Sonson wrote. “Law-abiding citizens should not have to worry if their belongings will remain secure during the flight or whether they will make it to their destination on time.”