Houston man charged with interfering with flight crew, causing forced landing in Dallas
A Houston man who “menaced a flight crew” on a Southwest Airlines plane and refused to sit down has been charged with a federal crime, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Marcus Huff, 45, was indicted on April 25 on a charge of interference with a flight crew. He was arrested in Houston on Wednesday and made his initial appearance in court there Thursday. He will return to the Northern District of Texas for his arraignment.
According to court documents, Huff’s conduct forced a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Houston to divert to Dallas Love Field.
Huff allegedly threw a drink at a flight attendant, yelled profanities at the entire flight crew, and refused to remain seated during the flight, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas and Houston Field Offices conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dimitri Rocha is prosecuting the case.
This story was originally published June 9, 2023 at 1:53 PM.
