A Ukrainian immigrant, who is accused of disrupting an airline flight and assaulting its crew because he believed the wing was on fire, was ordered on Friday to remain in custody in Utah to face charges. A federal judge ordered a mental evaluation for Anatoliy Baranovich, 46, who authorities said had been drinking and had passports for 19 women and $6,500 in cash in his luggage. Prosecutors believe the mental examination may shed light on Baranovich’s actions during a Delta Airlines flight from Boston to Salt Lake City on Monday. Baranovich is charged with one count each of damaging and disabling an aircraft and interference with a flight crew. Defense attorneys asked that Baranovich be released because his behavior was an aberration. A permanent U.S. resident, Baranovich has no history of violence or any record of criminal behavior or arrests in the U.S., his lawyer said. District Magistrate Judge Dustin Pead said he was troubled by Baranovich’s access to passports and cash, which could make him a flight risk. No new hearing dates have been set. If convicted, Baranovich faces a possible maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison.
