GogglesPisano
Pawn, in game of life
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Airline Pilot Accused Of Wanting To Crash Plane Into Wall Street
POSTED: 1:43 pm EST February 10, 2005
UPDATED: 2:17 pm EST February 10, 2005
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A commercial and National Guard pilot who the FBI said once threatened to crash a plane into Wall Street was arrested Wednesday for lying about his criminal history on a military application.
Robert Feneziani, 44, of San Diego, was taken into custody by FBI agents with the Joint Terrorism Task Force of Western New York. He worked for United Airlines and was assigned to the New York Air National Guard's 107th Air Refueling Wing in Niagara Falls.
"We do not believe he poses any imminent threat to commit an act of terrorism, but we believe he has made threatening remarks in the past that cause some serious concern," said Peter Ahearn, special agent in charge of the FBI in Buffalo.
Federal prosecutors charged Feneziani with providing false statements to the U.S. Defense Department. On an October application for top security clearance, Feneziani said he had not been arrested or involved in civil court actions in the last seven years, Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lynch said in court documents.
Officials later found he was arrested on two misdemeanor charges in San Diego in February 2000 and was involved in a civil court matter the same month. The criminal charges were dropped, but further details on the California cases were unavailable.
Agents said they learned about the allegations of violent threats from a woman who had a relationship with the pilot for almost four years. She claimed that in 2003, Feneziani made the threat about Wall Street because "he was frustrated that some people made easy money," the court papers said.
Feneziani pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released on $10,000 bond. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
United Airlines spokesman Jeff Green said Feneziani was removed from service pending the outcome of the case. Ahearn said Feneziani was already suspended from military flight status based on his behavior during a training session.
POSTED: 1:43 pm EST February 10, 2005
UPDATED: 2:17 pm EST February 10, 2005
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A commercial and National Guard pilot who the FBI said once threatened to crash a plane into Wall Street was arrested Wednesday for lying about his criminal history on a military application.
Robert Feneziani, 44, of San Diego, was taken into custody by FBI agents with the Joint Terrorism Task Force of Western New York. He worked for United Airlines and was assigned to the New York Air National Guard's 107th Air Refueling Wing in Niagara Falls.
"We do not believe he poses any imminent threat to commit an act of terrorism, but we believe he has made threatening remarks in the past that cause some serious concern," said Peter Ahearn, special agent in charge of the FBI in Buffalo.
Federal prosecutors charged Feneziani with providing false statements to the U.S. Defense Department. On an October application for top security clearance, Feneziani said he had not been arrested or involved in civil court actions in the last seven years, Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lynch said in court documents.
Officials later found he was arrested on two misdemeanor charges in San Diego in February 2000 and was involved in a civil court matter the same month. The criminal charges were dropped, but further details on the California cases were unavailable.
Agents said they learned about the allegations of violent threats from a woman who had a relationship with the pilot for almost four years. She claimed that in 2003, Feneziani made the threat about Wall Street because "he was frustrated that some people made easy money," the court papers said.
Feneziani pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released on $10,000 bond. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
United Airlines spokesman Jeff Green said Feneziani was removed from service pending the outcome of the case. Ahearn said Feneziani was already suspended from military flight status based on his behavior during a training session.
© 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
