Florida man pleads guilty to assaulting DFW gate agent
A Florida man pleaded guilty in federal court Jan. 22 to assaulting a gate agent at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport last October, officials with the North Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The man, 53-year-old Keith Charles Owens, was charged in November via criminal complaint with interfering with security screening personnel, officials said.
Owens admitted to repeatedly punching an American Airlines gate agent in the face and neck in an incident that started when he tried to board a plane at the wrong gate, according to a statement.
The gate agent directed Owens to the correct gate, then informed airline personnel that Owens was on the way and appeared to be intoxicated, officials said.
At that gate, Owens walked onto the jet bridge without scanning his boarding pass, prompting airline personnel to remove him from the jet bridge, according to the statement.
Owens then returned to the previous gate and assaulted the agent, officials said.
Personnel restrained Owens and the flight departing from that gate was delayed, according to the statement.
The gate agent and personnel who restrained Owens all suffered minor injuries, officials said.
Owens faces up to 10 years in federal prison. His sentencing has been set for May. The FBI’s Dallas Field Division and the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety investigated the case, according to the statement.
