A federal grand jury in Atlanta indicted a Delta Airlines passenger on June 9 after a flight attendant alleged he slapped her buttocks during beverage service on a May 9 flight from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles. Cody James Maluck, 32, was charged with interference with crew members or attendants, a federal offense that carries up to 20 years in prison if he is convicted.
The flight attendant, identified as P.L.L., was walking down the aisle when she said she felt a slap to her buttocks area with enough force to push her body forward. She turned around immediately and saw Maluck raising his hands and saying, “I didn't do anything.” Another flight attendant later told investigators she heard P.L.L. yell and saw her body move as if she had been struck or pushed.
Crew members suspended in-flight service after the incident, and P.L.L. reported it to a lead flight attendant, who notified the pilot. The pilot then decided to divert Delta flight 800 to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where authorities met the aircraft, detained Maluck and later took him to the Atlanta City Detention Center. The case was then handed over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Maluck told investigators he did not hear anyone asking whether he wanted a beverage because he was wearing headphones. He said he did not mean to harm or disrespect P.L.L. and said he was trying to get her attention, but he also admitted he did touch her buttocks area. That account leaves the case resting on whether prosecutors can prove the contact was intentional interference rather than a mistaken attempt to get a crew member’s attention.
Delta said it has zero tolerance for disruptive or unruly behavior on its flights and will always cooperate with law enforcement to address such conduct and protect its people. The federal case comes as the Federal Aviation Administration has logged 687 reports of unruly passengers in 2026 so far and initiated 33 enforcement actions by May 31.
