She wanted to nap on the flight. He was inebriated and wanted to cop a feel, cops say.
Snakes on a plane would be awful but waking up to this is certainly worse.
A woman taking a red eye from Denver to Miami was awakened by the man seated next to her groping her, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Records show Victor Maksimov, 42, appeared Tuesday in Florida Southern District Federal Court, where he pleaded not guilty to one count of assault within special aircraft jurisdiction.
Under federal law, Maksimov faces up to six months in prison if convicted.
The charge stems from a Frontier flight on Oct. 27. Their interaction began with the woman, who the complaint identifies as “C.VA.F.,” settling into the aisle seat for the flight of nearly four hours. Maksimov, who had the middle seat while his minor son had the window, greeted her and eventually offered her some vodka after take-off.
She declined, then closed her eyes to nap.
That’s when Maksimov tried to cop a feel, the complaint says.
“She then felt Maksimov touch her in the hamstring and buttock area,” the federal air marshal wrote.
Thinking it was inadvertent, the woman shifted her body slightly and once again tried to sleep. Roughly five minutes later, it happened again while she was awake.
“Maksimov committed another unwanted touching, this time by reaching over her body, as her back was turned towards him, and touching the inside of C.V.A.F.’s upper thigh,” the marshal continued.
The woman became noticeably upset and began to cry as she recounted the story to flight attendants. She was moved to a new seat, but even the marshal noted that “she was crying and still visibly shaken” when the two spoke after the plane landed at Miami International Airport.
Investigators interviewed Maksimov once the plane landed but he didn’t admit to touching her. He did admit to consuming alcohol, and a search of his backpack yielded numerous mini bottles of vodka, the complaint concludes. Flight attendants told investigators that they served him beer as well.
Maksimov was taken into custody on Oct. 28 but posted his $25,000 bond later that day. He’s not allowed to leave the Southern District of Florida without the court’s permission, according to the conditions of his bond.
Court records show the next hearing is set for early January.
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 6:38 PM.
