Illegal Flight Boarding At Philly Airport Lands Man On Probation

PHILADELPHIA — A Philadelphia man who illegally boarded a flight at the Philadelphia International Airport last summer was sentenced to probation and ordered to pay restitution, federal authorities said Tuesday.

Jonathan “Jon” Beaulieu, 32, of Philadelphia, was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $59,143, the total lost as a result of the flight's cancellation.

The incident started at about 12:12 a.m. June 26, 2024, at the airport.

Beaulieu approached a security guard at the airport assigned to the exit lane of Terminal C, telling her he left his phone in the airport and needed to get it.

The guard contacted police to tell them Beaulieu was trying to get into the airport to retrieve his phone.

A dispatcher told the guard police could not look for the phone. That's when Beaulieu started to walk past the witness into the airport.

Beaulieu was repeatedly told he could not enter the airport.

Beaulieu then dropped a $50 bill onto the guard's desk and asked her if that would get him into the airport. The guard left the bill on the desk and again told Beaulieu that he could not enter the airport.

She called the police again and told dispatchers Beaulieu was trying to go around her and into the airport.

After a few minutes of arguing, Beaulieu walked around the guard, entered the airport, and walked away. The guard called the police, told dispatchers about the security breach, and described Beaulieu.

The flash information was broadcast over police radio and officers started searching the terminals.

Security personnel checking the facility’s cameras saw Beaulieu got on board a plane at Gate A-20.

Philadelphia Police at the gate found the plane doors closed, and the plane preparing for takeoff.

Authorities told the captain of the plane that a passenger aboard bypassed security, and the plane returned to the gate. All passengers were removed and Beaulieu was found and arrested.

Due to the boarding of an unscreened passenger, the entire plane had to be searched, resulting in the flight’s cancellation. American Airlines reported that the cost of the flight cancellation was $59,143.