Local man sentenced for fondling sleeping woman on flight

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh-area man who pleaded guilty to fondling a sleeping woman on a flight from Las Vegas in August 2016 was sentenced Friday.

Wei-Ming Shi, 59, of Mount Lebanon, pleaded guilty last year to simple assault on an aircraft during flight.

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Shi was a passenger on a Southwest flight from Las Vegas to Pittsburgh when a woman sitting next to him fell asleep.  That is when investigators said Shi assaulted her.

Shi was given a three-month detention at a residential re-entry center, similar to a halfway house.

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The woman woke up during the assault, alerted the flight attendant, and changed her seat.

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Shi faces a fine of $5,000 and up to six months in prison and probation.

The woman told a judge that seeing a plane, airport or even speaking about travel brings back terrible memories. She denied ever giving Shi the indication that he could touch her and said the two only engaged in "generic small chat."

Shi's attorney questions her claim, saying he believes there is more to the story -- that the victim was flirting.

The judge said a punishment had to be imposed, though the details are still being ironed out.

Cox Media Group