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By Daniel Baxter |
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May 25, 2010 - Muhammad Abu Tahir, age 47, of Glen Allen, Virginia, was sentenced on Monday by U.S. District Court Judge Robert E. Blackburn to serve three months in federal prison for one count of interference with a flight crew, United States Attorney David Gaouette and FBI Special Agent in Charge James Davis announced. Tahir was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $14,584.00 to AirTran. Following his incarceration, Tahir was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. The defendant appeared at the hearing on Monday free on bond. He was order to report to a facility designated by the Bureau of Prisons, and to pay for the transportation to that facility.
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According to the
Information, as well as the stipulated facts contained in the plea
agreement, on January 8, 2010, Tahir was a passenger on
AirTran Airways flight 39 from While in flight the defendant became upset with a flight attendant who refused to give him more wine. The defendant yelled at flight attendants, and then went into the lavatory. After a period of time, a flight attendant knocked on the door of the lavatory asking the defendant to finish up so other passengers could use the lavatory. The defendant refused to leave the lavatory and again yelled at the flight attendant that she was disrespecting him. Sometime later the flight attendant again knocked on the door. The defendant opened up the lavatory door and grabbed the flight attendant?s arms and began pulling her until a male passenger intervened, saying ?Don?t touch her.?
The defendant does
not recall that this happened. The defendant went back inside the
lavatory and closed the door. Flight attendants then notified the pilot
of the defendant?s behavior. The pilot then diverted the plane and
landed in |
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