Passenger Convicted of Sexual Assault While on an Airplane Sentenced Today in Federal Court

ATLANTA—RANCHHODBHAI LAKHA, 61, of Alpharetta, Georgia, was sentenced to federal prison today by United States District Judge Richard W. Story on a charge of abusive sexual contact.

United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates said, “This defendant thought he could get away with taking advantage of a defenseless, sleeping passenger sitting next to him. He was wrong. He will now serve time in a federal prison.”

LAKHA was sentenced to six months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release, and fined $5,000. He is also required to register as a sex offender. LAKHA pleaded guilty to the charge on June 29, 2011.

According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court: On September 28, 2010, on a Delta flight from Dallas to Atlanta, a 20-year-old woman seated in the same row with LAKHA fell asleep and woke up to discover LAKHA, a former hotel owner, touching her below the waist. She quickly removed his hand and told him not to do that. LAKHA responded by asking the victim, “Is that okay—you don’t like that?” The woman responded no and recoiled her body to protect herself. At that point LAKHA reached down and touched her again. The woman got up from her seat and immediately reported the assault to a Delta flight attendant.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Atlanta Police Department and the Federal Air Marshals.

Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph Plummer, Katherine Hoffer and Suzette Smikle prosecuted the case.

For further information, please contact Sally Q. Yates, United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.