A Sandy Springs man who sexually assaulted a fellow passenger after she fell asleep on a flight to Atlanta was sentenced Tuesday to six months in federal prison.
Ranchhodbhai Lakha, 62, a former hotel owner, also was fined $5,000. On a Sept. 28 flight from Dallas, a 20-year-old woman seated on the same row as Lakha, fell asleep and awoke to discover he was touching her below the waist, prosecutors said.
The woman removed Lakha's hand and told him to stop, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement.
"Is that okay -- you don't like that?" Lakha asked asked the woman, according to federal prosecutors. The woman said no and recoiled her body, but Lakha reached down and touched her again, prosecutors said. At that point, the woman reported the alleged assault to a flight attendant.
On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Sally Yates said Lakha will now be spending time in a federal prison for what he did. “This defendant thought he could get away with taking advantage of a defenseless, sleeping passenger sitting next to him," she said. "He was wrong.”
In July, Lakha pleaded guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact. The case was investigated by the FBI, with help from the Atlanta Police Department and the Federal Air Marshals.
About the Author
