Ukrainian Man Will Remain In Custody Until Sex Assault Trial

DENVER (CBS4) - A Ukrainian man accused of sexually assaulting a flight attendant while aboard a flight from Atlanta to Denver last month will stay in custody until his trial.

A federal magistrate in Denver ruled on Wednesday that Vadym Pecherskyi, 42, is a flight risk and a danger to the community. Because the United States has no extradition treaty with Ukraine, if Pecherskyi were granted bond, it's possible he could flee to Kiev without repercussions.

On Oct. 27, Pecherskyi was arrested after allegedly groping a flight attendant aboard a Delta plane and putting her in a head lock while in first class. Police said Pecherskyi had been drinking.

On Wednesday, a representative of the Ukrainian consulate, Oleksandr Filipenko, testified in court that the Ukrainian government would not issue Pecherskyi travel documents that would enable him to flee.

Pecherskyi has an agriculture business, which exports farm equipment and supplies to the Ukraine. A business colleague from Nebraska, also from the Ukraine, testified as a character witness, saying Pecherskyi is a family man with a wife and two children at home.

But magistrate Kathleen Tafoya said because Pecherskyi has no ties to Colorado and would have a huge incentive to travel to the Ukraine, he should remain in custody.

Because of the nature of the assault, Tafoya said Pecherskyi is a risk to the community. He faces four counts, two of which carry 20-year maximum sentences.