A Spirit Airlines pilot who was allegedly stalking teenagers was arrested at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and “removed from duty” by the airline.
Dominic A Cipolla, 40, has been charged with stalking two teenagers, according to a July 11 criminal complaint. The charges originate in Johnson County, Kansas, and include birthdates for the alleged victims — 12 and 17 years old.
Cipolla was arrested by law enforcement at the airport in New Orleans on June 17 in connection to the criminal allegations, according to The Guardian. After he was taken into custody, police took him to jail before transferring him to Johnson County, Kansas, on August 2. He bonded out after posting $12,500 and he is scheduled to return to court on August 12..
According to the Guardian, Cipolla alleged actions with the younger victim and are considered a felony. If convicted, Cipolla could be sentenced to one to three years in prison.
The other charges he faces is a misdemeanor, which could land him a fine of up to $2,500 or up to a year in jail.
The charges related to Olathe, Kansas, a town in Johnson County. According to the court documents, Cipolla lives in Kansas City, Missouri, which is about 22 miles north of Olathe. However, officials have released few details of his alleged crimes.
Spirit Air confirmed to the Guardian that it is “aware of a matter involving a pilot at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport … which was unrelated to the performance of their job duties.”
“The pilot was removed from duty pending our investigation into the matter,” the airline said in its statement. “And we arranged for another pilot to operate the flight.”
According to the Guardian, Cipolla joined Spirit in 2022 and spent time in the U.S. military.
Spirit has faced other connections to sex-crime arrests in recent days. One of the airline’s passengers — a registered sex offender — was recently arrested for groping a teenage girl sitting next to him.
John Daniel Fowler, 65, of Indiana, told police that he had merely been reaching down to help right the thermos of the 17-year-old girl in the next seat after it tipped over.
He reportedly tried to talk to the teen, but she didn’t want to. A criminal complaint alleges that after falling asleep under a blanket, the teen awoke to find Fowler’s hand underneath her blanket rubbing her crotch.
Fowler was charged the same day with abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft. If he’s convicted, he faces three years in a federal prison. On top of the charge, prosecutors may push for a 10-year enhancement for having committed a new crime while a registered sex offender.
