A JetBlue pilot was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) on Thursday night on an outstanding warrant from North Carolina, where he is wanted on a charge of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor.
Jeremy Gudorf, 33, was arrested by Massachusetts State Police after arriving at Boston Logan to work JetBlue’s daily flight to Paris Charles de Gaulle, following a routine law enforcement check of the passenger and crew manifest.
JetBlue flight B6-633 had to be delayed by two hours on February 20 as airline managers scrambled to find a replacement pilot to fly the Airbus A321 to the French capital after the police led away Gudorf.
Details of the alleged crime were not made public during Gudorf’s appearance in a Boston courthouse on Friday, where prosecutors called on the judge to remand him into custody, citing the gravity of the crime, and his job as a commercial pilot as reasons to refuse him bail.
Ultimately, however, Gudorf was released on bail of $10,000 and allowed to keep his passport on the condition that he report to North Carolina by February 25.
Ahead of any international flight departing the United States, it is standard practice for US Customs and Border Practice to cross reference passenger and crew manifests against a database of outstanding criminal warrants.
The system regularly intercepts criminals trying to escape the United States for offenses they are wanted for or have been found guilty of and is conducted without any need for a physical immigration checkpoint.
It is, however, rare for crew members to be picked up on outstanding warrants, given that aircrew are security vetted.
In a statement, JetBlue confirmed the arrest of one of its pilots, saying: “We are aware of and closely reviewing the arrest of one of our pilots upon reporting for work at Boston’s Logan Airport Thursday evening due to an outstanding warrant.”
The statement added: “The pilot has been placed on indefinite leave as law enforcement proceeds with the matter.”
