Michigan man suing airline for kicking him off plane for body odor faces criminal charges

A Southfield man suing American Airlines for booting him and his family off a flight for, according to the airline, emitting body odor is in legal trouble himself, facing multiple embezzlement charges, according to the criminal complaint against him.

Yehudah Adler was arraigned this week on four counts of embezzlement, which he allegedly committed while employed as a controller at Southfield-based 1-800-LAW-FIRM, according to the complaint filed in 46th District Court on Feb 11.

Adler allegedly transferred about $100,000 from the firm's account directly to his personal account from November 2015 to October 2016, wrote checks to himself on the company's dime totaling about $248,000 from September 2015 to December 2016 and gave himself unauthorized pay raises that earned him $48,000, Oakland County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Paul Walton told the Free Press.

Adler, his wife and their then-19-month old daughter were escorted off a Jan. 23, 2019, flight from Miami to Detroit by a gate agent, who said he knew people of their race and religion, Orthodox Jews, only took baths once a week, according to the lawsuit filed Jan. 28 in federal court in Texas, where American Airlines is based.

The civil suit claims American Airlines discriminated against the Adler family on a basis of race and ethnicity — embarrassing and humiliating them and causing emotional distress. The Adlers are asking that punitive damages be awarded as determined by a jury to deter future discrimination.

"The Adler family were asked to deplane last night after several passengers, along with our crew members, complained about their body odor. The family were provided hotel accommodations and meals, and rebooked on a flight to Detroit today," American Airline officials said in January 2019.

Walton said the embezzlement case against Adler can affect his lawsuit against American Airlines.

An embezzlement conviction of a witness — which Adler is in the suit against American Airlines — can lead to that witness being impeached, Walton said.

Adler's defense attorney could not be reached Friday. His attorney in the civil case in which he is a plaintiff also could not be reached for comment.

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Adler's next criminal court date is scheduled for Wednesday at 46th District Court.

A conviction on one count of embezzlement over $100,000 could lead to 20 years in prison and/or a fine of up to three times the amount embezzled, according to the criminal complaint against Adler.

Contact Omar Abdel-Baqui: 313-222-2514 or oabdel-baqui@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarabdelb