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Man who was taped to his seat after groping and punching Frontier flight attendants is sentenced to 60 days in jail

May 4, 2022, 18:59 IST
Business Insider
Max Berry, 23, was arrested after he assaulted flight attendants on a flight from Philadelphia to Miami on July 31, 2021.Sam Sweeney/Twitter
  • A Frontier passenger was taped to his seat last year after he assaulted flight attendants.
  • Max Berry pleaded guilty to three counts of assault, and was on Tuesday issued a fine and sentenced to 60 days in jail.
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A man who was taped to his seat after groping and punching flight attendants on a Frontier Airlines flight last July was sentenced to 60 days in jail, according to court documents seen by Insider.

Max Berry of Norwalk, Ohio, pleaded guilty to three counts of assault within maritime and territorial jurisdiction in February, the documents show.

On Tuesday, the US District Court in Miami sentenced Berry to 60 days in jail and handed him a $2,500 fine. It is unclear where and when he will serve his sentence.

Berry, 23, was arrested on July 31 after he punched one male flight attendant and inappropriate touched two female crewmembers during a flight from Philadelphia to Miami. Much of his actions were filmed and shared on social media.

Police said Berry had been drinking, was shouting obscenities, and at one point took his shirt off, as Insider previously reported.

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His behavior eventually led flight attendants to duct-tape him to his seat. Frontier later suspended the crew for doing so.

In a statement to CNN at the time, a spokesperson for the company said it supported the crew and that they will be on paid leave.

Two of the Frontier Airlines flight attendants — one who was groped, and another who was punched by Berry — were present at Tuesday's sentencing hearing.

They told ABC's Florida affiliate, WPLG, that they felt his sentence was not long enough.

"He made an enemy of everyone on that flight," Frontier flight attendant Jordan Galarza told WPLG. "The people on that aircraft saw justice happen — more than what we saw today."

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"I think it's a disgusting miscarriage of justice, in my opinion," he added.

In a sentencing memorandum seen by Insider, Berry's lawyer Jason Kreiss argued that Berry's actions were out of character and that he should not be jailed.

After his arrest, Berry immediately attended biweekly counseling sessions and took an anger-management course, said the memorandum, which was submitted to the court one week before the sentencing.

A doctor also diagnosed the 23-year-old with depression and anxiety, the memorandum said, adding: "Max has absolutely learned his lesson and is paying a significant price for his conduct."

"He was arrested and his inexcusable and embarrassing conduct went viral on mainstream media, the internet, and social media," it said. "This stigma will follow him around and hinder his personal relationships, his ability to obtain employment, his eligibility for housing, positions of trust, and will affect other life issues for the foreseeable future."

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Frontier Airlines and Kreiss did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

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