A JetBlue pilot was arrested right before takeoff from Boston’s Logan International Airport, moments before his flight to Paris was set to depart. The arrest happened Thursday evening, Feb. 20, after authorities discovered he had an active warrant out of North Carolina.
The pilot, 33-year-old Jeremy Gudorf from Ohio, was taken into custody on the plane by Massachusetts State Police. U.S. Customs and Border Protection had been doing a routine check of the flight’s crew list when they found the warrant against Gudorf.
On Friday, Gudorf appeared in East Boston District Court, where it was revealed that the North Carolina warrant was for second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. In addition, Massachusetts charged him as a fugitive from justice.
Prosecutors requested that Gudorf be held without bail and surrender his passport, expressing concerns he could flee. But his defense lawyer, Tanvi Verma, pushed back. “He has the means to drive to North Carolina,” Verma told the court, adding that Gudorf had no previous criminal record and fully understood the seriousness of the situation.
Ultimately, the judge set bail at $10,000 and required Gudorf to return to North Carolina by Feb. 25 to address the charges there. A court date in Massachusetts is set for March 19, but that could be canceled if the North Carolina case moves forward as planned.
Authorities in Huntersville, N.C., said the investigation began in October 2024 after they received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Police later secured a search warrant for Google, which reportedly led them to identify Gudorf as a suspect. After gathering evidence, they issued the arrest warrant.
JetBlue has since placed Gudorf on indefinite leave, saying they’re closely monitoring the legal process.
This developing case has left many shocked, and as the investigation continues, more details are expected to emerge in the coming weeks.
