Adam Damian Panetta, Assault and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury, Massachusetts 2019

BOSTON — A New York man is behind bars after allegedly assaulting a woman on a cruise ship in 2019. Adam Damian Panetta, 45, of Farmingville, N.Y., was arrested today and charged in federal court in Boston for his role in the incident.

The charges against Panetta include one count of assault and one count of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury. He will appear in federal court in Boston today at 5:00 p.m.

According to the charging document, the assault occurred on April 25, 2019, while Panetta was aboard the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Gem. Surveillance video shows Panetta pulling the woman by her hair down a full-length hallway, and then punching her twice in the side of her head with a closed fist.

The woman fell to the ground and appeared to be unconscious. Panetta did not appear to assist her, and instead kicked her twice in the buttocks as she began to crawl into the room. The woman was later taken to the ship’s medical center, where she was treated for her injuries, including approximately 8cm of swelling on the right side of her head and a 2.5 cm laceration that required five stitches.

Panetta was taken into custody when the ship arrived in the port of Boston today. The charge of assault carries a sentence of no greater than one year in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $100,000. The charge of assault resulting in substantial bodily injury provides a sentence of no greater than five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.