A Washington, D.C. man has been charged with threatening flight attendants on a flight from Houston, Texas to Newark Liberty International Airport.
Kedus Yacob Damtew, 38, of Washington, D.C. was charged with one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants by assault or intimidation.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, on June 12, 2024, shortly before landing, Damtew removed his shirt, pushed his bare chest into a flight attendant, pinning the flight attendant against the aircraft exit door, shouted epithets and threats of physical violence, and punched an aircraft oven.
He then followed the same flight attendant to the rear of the aircraft, where he continued to shout threats and epithets and threw a cup of water.
Another flight attendant requested assistance over the airplane’s public address system, prompting several passengers to assist in securing Damtew in flex cuffs in the last row of the plane until the flight landed at Newark.
The charge of interfering with flight crew members and attendants carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Nelson I. Delgado in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charge. He also thanked the Port Authority Police Department, under the direction of Edward T. Cetnar, for its assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Jacobs of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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