An Indian man faces federal charges after he allegedly stabbed two boys with a metal fork in an airplane, forcing the pilot to divert the Germany-bound flight to Boston.

Praneeth Kumar Usiripalli, 28, was indicted and charged with two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm while traveling on an aircraft. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He’s scheduled to be arraigned at federal court in Boston on Dec. 3 at 10:30 a.m.

Usiripalli, a native of India, was previously admitted into the United States under a student visa and was enrolled in a master’s program in biblical studies, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office for Massachusetts. He was not lawfully in the U.S. at the time of the alleged stabbing.

One of the 17-year-old boys Usiripalli allegedly stabbed told investigators that they had merely “exchanged pleasantries” as the 4:30 p.m. flight boarded in Chicago on Oct. 25. There was no further interaction, according to an FBI affidavit supporting the charges, until the boy awoke from a nap after the meal service to see Usiripalli standing over him two hours later.

The boy raised his shoulder to put some distance between himself and Usiripalli and the man immediately stabbed him in that shoulder, the boy told police at Boston Logan International Airport. When another 17-year-old boy reacted from his seat, Usiripalli allegedly “lunged across Minor A and struck Minor B in the back of his head with a metal fork.”

Usiripalli was “yelling unintelligibly” as he backed into the aisle, fork in hand, and was subdued by flight crew, according to the affidavit.

“When flight crew members attempted to subdue Usiripalli, he allegedly raised his hand, formed a gun with his fingers, put it in his mouth and pulled an imaginary trigger,” according to a U.S. Attorney’s office statement. “Immediately afterwards, Usiripalli allegedly turned toward a female passenger and slapped her with his hand.”

The pilot decided to divert the flight to Boston instead of continuing on to Germany.

Incident summary

The BPD reports that its officers responded to 276 incidents in its report ending at 10 a.m. Saturday. Those include five robberies, five aggravated assaults, one commercial burglary, one residential burglary, five thefts from a vehicle, three auto thefts and 27 instances of miscellaneous larceny.

Arrests

All of the below-named defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

– Mark Santos, 85 Cary St., Brockton. Unarmed robbery.

– Alejandro Agudelo, 117 Havre St., Boston. Vandalizing property.

– Virgin Martinez, 170 Morton St., Mattapan. External warrant arrest.

– Wendell Stampley, 24 Elmore St., Boston. Operating a motor vehicle in violation of license class.

– Nilton Ramos, 48 Percival St., Dorchester. Larceny of motor vehicle.

– Brittany Fleury, 10 Jordan Road, Chelmsford. Larceny by check under $1,200.

– Rosalba Ramirez, 13 Elm St., Hyde Park. Shoplifting by asportation.

– Charles Jones, 19 Aspinwall Road, Dorchester. Operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license.

– Philip Larosa, 268 Lubec St., Boston. Larceny from a person older than 65.

– Kayla Harris, 2 Windsor Woods Lane, Canton. Larceny over $1,200.

– Demetrius Little, 10 Wheatley Way, Roxbury. Larceny over $1,200.

– Skye Gauthier, 8 Hurlcroft Road, Milton. Larceny under $250.

– Loren Mullaney, 25 Water St., Weymouth. Shoplifting over $100 by asportation.

– Andre Anez, 248 Pearl St., Braintree. Unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.

– Amauris Santana-Charles, 60 Bloomfield St., Dorchester. Reckless operation of a motor vehicle.

– Erica Mullen, 258 Plantation St., Worcester. Criminal operation of a motor vehicle with a suspended license.