Rustom Bhagwagar, 35, a Parsi and a former Delta Air Lines pilot, was convicted this week in Contra Costa County Superior Court on eight counts of sexually abusing a young girl, prosecutors said. His co-defendant, Jennifer Spitz Powell, 46, of Walnut Creek — the victim’s mother and Bhagwagar’s former girlfriend — was convicted alongside him on the same charges.
According to Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton, the abuse began in October 2017, when the victim was seven years old, and continued through October 2022, while Powell and Bhagwagar were in a relationship. Prosecutors said Powell was aware of and participated in the abuse of her daughter. Bhagwagar and Powell were tried before separate juries in a dual-jury proceeding, with each jury hearing only the evidence pertaining to the defendant it was assigned to.
Bhagwagar, who lived in Florida and flew for Delta, was arrested in the cockpit at San Francisco International Airport in July 2025, shortly after landing a flight, by Department of Homeland Security agents and Contra Costa County sheriff’s deputies. Delta subsequently ended its employment relationship with him. Powell was arrested three days later. Authorities said they learned of the allegations in April 2025.
Both defendants now face a maximum sentence of 230 years to life in state prison and remain in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility pending sentencing.
“This young survivor showed extraordinary courage by testifying in court and facing the people who used duress to harm her,” said District Attorney Diana Becton. “These verdicts hold both defendants accountable. I am grateful to our entire team for their dedication in seeking, serving, and doing justice in this case.”
