Former Delta pilot and his girlfriend found guilty of assaulting daughter
2 october 2026 в 10:02
Former Delta Air Lines pilot Rustam Bagvagar and his ex-girlfriend Jennifer Spitz Powell have been found guilty in California of multiple counts of sexual abuse against Powell’s daughter over a period of approximately five years, starting when the girl was 7 years old.
This week, two separate juries convicted Bagvagar, 35, and Powell, 46, on eight counts of oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child under 10 years old, as well as 12 counts of forcible lewd acts on a child under 14 years old, according to a press release from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office on September 30.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Bagvagar and Powell committed sexual crimes against her daughter from October 17, 2017, to October 16, 2022. Bagvagar was arrested in this case after landing a Delta Air Lines plane at San Francisco International Airport in July 2025. Powell was arrested later that same month.
Powell allegedly knew about the ongoing sexual abuse by Bagvagar and was accused of witnessing and participating in the assaults, according to a probable cause statement obtained by KTVU.
Both defendants face a maximum sentence of 230 years to life in prison. Dates for their upcoming hearings have not been specified. Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Beckton noted that «this young victim has shown extraordinary courage by testifying in court and confronting the individuals who used coercion to harm her».
Bagvagar and Powell will remain in custody at the Martinez Correctional Facility until sentencing, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
This week, two separate juries convicted Bagvagar, 35, and Powell, 46, on eight counts of oral copulation or sexual penetration with a child under 10 years old, as well as 12 counts of forcible lewd acts on a child under 14 years old, according to a press release from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office on September 30.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Bagvagar and Powell committed sexual crimes against her daughter from October 17, 2017, to October 16, 2022. Bagvagar was arrested in this case after landing a Delta Air Lines plane at San Francisco International Airport in July 2025. Powell was arrested later that same month.
Powell allegedly knew about the ongoing sexual abuse by Bagvagar and was accused of witnessing and participating in the assaults, according to a probable cause statement obtained by KTVU.
Both defendants face a maximum sentence of 230 years to life in prison. Dates for their upcoming hearings have not been specified. Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Beckton noted that «this young victim has shown extraordinary courage by testifying in court and confronting the individuals who used coercion to harm her».
Bagvagar and Powell will remain in custody at the Martinez Correctional Facility until sentencing, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
© Kolganov Andrey
