Judge Sentences Abusive Traveler Who Impersonated Air Marshal

A U.S. District Court judge sentenced Paul Henry Boritzer to 10 months imprisonment for impersonating a federal air marshal while he was traveling to New Orleans from New York for Mardi Gras, the FBI announced.

The 46-year-old Boritzer, a New York resident who used the alias "John I. Michaels," boarded JetBlue Flight 119 on Feb. 20, 2009. Once on the plane, he created a disturbance by refusing to obey instructions from the flight crew. After a flight attendant denied him alcoholic beverages, he intimidated and threatened the airline employee. He then falsely claimed he was a federal air marshal.

"An abusive air traveler who intentionally disregarded and threatened teh security of passengers and crew is now headed to federal prison," said U.S. Attorney Jim Letten in a statement.