Puerto Rican Man Pleads Guilty to Opening JetBlue Emergency Exit

BOSTON — Alexander J. Rosario pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts to one count of damaging an aircraft.

The charge stems from an incident in which Rosario, a resident of Puerto Rico, opened an emergency exit door while aboard a JetBlue aircraft preparing for takeoff from Boston to Puerto Rico. The aircraft was a commercial passenger jet with passengers and crew on board at the time.

Rosario faces a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 13. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.

The guilty plea resolves the criminal case against Rosario. Under the plea agreement, he admitted to the specific act of opening the emergency exit, which federal aviation regulations classify as damage to the aircraft under 18 U.S.C. § 32.

Prior to the plea, Rosario had been charged following the incident. The new state is a binding admission of guilt on the single count contained in the information filed by prosecutors. The change takes legal effect immediately upon acceptance by the court, with sentencing to follow on the August date.

Downstream, the Aug. 13 sentencing date now requires the probation office to complete a presentence investigation report and triggers standard post-plea procedures for victim notification and restitution calculations if any damages are claimed by JetBlue.

The Federal Aviation Administration retains separate authority to pursue civil penalties or certificate actions against involved parties. The plea also closes this specific prosecution, freeing prosecutorial resources for other aviation security matters handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts.

This is the latest federal case involving interference with commercial aircraft operations. The Department of Justice has pursued similar charges in other districts when passengers tamper with emergency exits or attempt to breach cockpits on the ground or in flight. The statute cited carries the 20-year maximum to deter acts that could compromise aircraft integrity or emergency systems.