James Warren Finnister, 47, of Detroit, Michigan, United States is unemployed. In September 2023, he was arrested in Erie County, Ohio for using weapons while intoxicated.
On January 8, 2024, Finnister took a five-hour bus ride from Detroit to Louisville, Kentucky, USA to visit a cousin. On the morning of January 9, 2024, the Detroit man was on a two-hour Spirit Airlines flight from Louisville to Orlando, Florida, USA.
It was Finnister’s first flight so he consumed multiple shots of vodka to calm his nerves. While onboard, he allegedly sexually harassed two female flight attendants.
Around 1 hour into the flight, Finnister allegedly asked the lead flight attendant if she wanted to join the “mile-high club”, pulled another flight attendant into his seat and asked the same question. When he was moved to a new seat, he allegedly laid down on the floor of the plane and requested entry into the airplane cockpit while the plane was in flight.
At 10:26 a.m., the flight landed at Orlando International Airport in Orlando and law enforcement met Finnister at the gate. Along with two deputy U.S. Marshals, a Federal Bureau of Investigation agent escorted the Detroit resident into the terminal after all other passengers deplaned.
Finnister was arrested and charged with interfering with flight crew members and assaulting a flight attendant on an aircraft. On January 10, 2024, he made his initial court appearance in Orlando and was released pending trial.
Aside from being prohibited from consuming alcohol, Finnister is required to submit to regular drug testing. His travel is restricted to the middle district of Florida and the state of Michigan.
CONAN Daily 