Michigan Man Who Caused Plane to Make Emergency Landing in Cedar Rapids Sentenced to Over a Year in Prison

Disrupted the flight by threatening and pushing a flight attendant and attempting to manipulate the emergency exit door A man who was flying from Omaha to Detroit who disrupted the flight, causing the plane to divert to Cedar Rapids and make an emergency landing, was sentenced today to more than a year in federal prison. Mario Nikprelaj, age 24, from Shelby Township, Michigan, received the prison term after a September 23, 2025, guilty plea to one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. Information at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, on July 17, 2025, Nikprelaj boarded a plane in Omaha, Nebraska, bound for Detroit, Michigan. Even before the plane left the gate, Nikprelaj began making disruptive and rude statements to passengers and flight crew. Nikprelaj refused to put his seatbelt on, but a flight attendant eventually convinced him to do so and the plane took off. Once in the air, Nikprelaj began disrupting the flight and interfering with the flight crew’s performance of their duties. He repeatedly took off his seat belt and had to be told to put it back on. He flipped off the flight attendant telling him to put his seat belt on and stood up repeatedly while the plane was ascending. Eventually, Nikprelaj poked the flight attendant in the chest. The flight attendant told Nikprelaj that the flight attendant would report him to law enforcement. Nikprelaj threatened to kill the flight attendant. Eventually, Nikprelaj appeared to have fallen asleep in his seat. The two flight attendants began service for the passengers. However, several passengers pressed their emergency call buttons when Nikprelaj began manipulating the emergency exit door near his seat. Passengers believed he was trying to open the door. The flight attendant Nikprelaj had threated, who was 80 years old, approached him again to stop him. Nikprelaj pushed the flight attendant away, swore at the flight attendant, and continued to threaten to kill him. After this incident was reported to him, the captain of the plane decided to make an emergency landing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As the plane was descending, Nikprelaj again stood up, took his shirt off, and began walking up and down the aisle. The flight crew asked for help from the passengers. Three passengers approached Nikprelaj, and he became belligerent with them. Nikprelaj took a swing at them. He eventually returned to his seat. While the plane was landing, Nikprelaj continued to flip off the flight attendant and other passengers. Officers from the Cedar Rapids Police Department were waiting for the plane to land. After it landed, they boarded the plane and took Nikprelaj into custody. When officers searched him, they found a prescription bottle containing 41 pills of purported Xanax. The prescription on the bottle was not in Nikprelaj’s name. Nikprelaj has a criminal history including a conviction for assaulting, resisting, or obstructing a police officer. In that situation, Nikprelaj ran from, resisted even when tasered, and fought with law enforcement officers. He also has convictions for domestic violence, disorderly conduct, breaking and entering, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Nikprelaj was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Nikprelaj was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.