Unruly passenger aboard Detroit-bound flight gets 18 months in federal prison
A Michigan man will serve 18 months in federal prison over a disturbance that erupted on a Detroit-bound SkyWest flight in July.
Mario Nikprelaj, 24, of Shelby Township, was sentenced Tuesday in the case, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Iowa, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His residence was initially reported to be in Nebraska. After serving the prison term, Nikprelaj will be placed on two years of supervised release, prosecutors said.
Nikprelaj had entered a guilty plea Sept. 23 to one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants, authorities said.
SkyWest Flight 3612 was operating as a Delta connection on July 17 from Omaha to Detroit. The disruptive behavior started "even before the plane left the gate," the district attorney's office said.
He initially refused to put his seat belt on when ordered. He stood up repeatedly as the plane was ascending.
"Eventually, Nikprelaj poked the flight attendant in the chest," the district attorney's office said. "The flight attendant told Nikprelaj that the flight attendant would report him to law enforcement. Nikprelaj threatened to kill the flight attendant."
He later appeared to fall asleep in his seat. Then several other passengers pressed their emergency call buttons to alert the flight attendants, believing he was trying to open the emergency door.
At that point, the plane's captain decided to invoke emergency landing procedures at Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids. Three passengers volunteered to assist the flight attendants in trying to contain the disruptive passenger.
After the landing, officers from the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Police Department came on board and took the man into custody.
Local charges were filed, but those were dismissed as federal court proceedings began.
"Nikprelaj has a criminal history including a conviction for assaulting, resisting, or obstructing a police officer," the district attorney's office said. "In that situation, Nikprelaj ran from, resisted even when tasered, and fought with law enforcement officers. He also has convictions for domestic violence, disorderly conduct, breaking and entering, and possession of drug paraphernalia."
The Federal Aviation Administration says there were 1,6221 reports of unruly airline passengers during 2025.