Man gets 2-year prison stint for unruly behavior on airplane

A 52-year-old South Carolina man has been sentenced to federal prison for drunk and combative behavior aboard an international flight last year that caused the plane to be diverted to Alaska.

Michael Shane Orndoff Jr., of Greenwood, received a two-year sentence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced in a news release.

“Regrettably, events such as this have become all too common,” said Michael J. Heyman, U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska. “Air travel is an essential mode of transportation, especially for Alaskans, and we remain committed to ensuring that every passenger can fly without fear of belligerent and dangerous behavior.”

The fracas unfurled December 17, 2025, when, according to court documents, Orndoff boarded a Delta Airlines flight in Atlanta bound for Seoul, South Korea.

The flight had been airborne for about an hour by the time Orndoff had consumed four to six large glasses of wine, the documents said. He became intoxicated and belligerent toward the flight crew and others on the plane, including leaning into and breathing on an adjacent female passenger, federal prosecutors said.

When crew members refused further alcohol service to Orndoff, the documents said, he attempted to coax other passengers, including a minor, to buy alcohol…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/