A Massachusetts man has been convicted of repeatedly sexually touching a 17-year-old female passenger aboard a JetBlue flight from Puerto Rico to Boston in August 2024, with a federal jury finding him guilty after a three-day trial.
How the incident unfolded aboard the JetBlue flight
The teenager’s adult female family member, who had been travelling in a different row, subsequently reported the conduct to a JetBlue supervisor and confronted Lefman, showing the video as evidence, prosecutors said. US District Court Judge Julia E. Jonathan Alan Lefman, 48, of Newton, Massachusetts, was convicted on October 16 of one count of abusive sexual contact within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, the US Department of Justice said on October 22. Kobick has scheduled Lefman’s sentencing for January 12, 2027. The offence carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, up to five years to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Lefman was arrested and charged in February 2025 before a federal grand jury indicted him in March that year. His conviction followed the jury trial concluded on October 16, 2026.
He was travelling with his wife and four children when the incident occurred, according to prosecutors.
US officials praise victim’s courage
Ted E. Docks, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Boston Division, also praised the teenager’s courage in reporting the incident and helping bring the case to trial. The investigation involved the FBI and Massachusetts State Police, with assistance from the Boston Police Department. Assistant US Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Julissa Walsh prosecuted the case.
