A Florida man has admitted to charges of assaulting a gate agent at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, according to an announcement by Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Chad Meacham.
Keith Charles Owens, aged 53, was initially charged via criminal complaint in November 2024. On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty to criminal information related to interference with security screening personnel before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey L. Cureton.
Court documents reveal that Mr. Owens confessed to attacking an American Airlines gate agent on October 5, 2024. Security footage captured Mr. Owens repeatedly striking the gate agent in the head.
The incident began around 4:42 p.m., when Mr. Owens approached the gate agent at gate A36, stating he was late and attempting to scan his boarding pass. After being informed that he was at the wrong gate, Mr. Owens used profanity and left the area. The gate agent then notified staff at the correct location, A35, about Mr. Owens' arrival and apparent intoxication.
Mr. Owens proceeded onto the A35 jet bridge without scanning his boarding pass but was subsequently removed by airline staff.
Shortly after this removal, at approximately 4:48 p.m., Mr. Owens returned to gate A36 where he began shouting at the gate agent before physically assaulting him by grabbing his shoulders and punching him multiple times in the face and neck until airline personnel managed to restrain him.
The altercation resulted in minor injuries for both the assaulted gate agent and those who intervened during its course; additionally causing a delay for flights scheduled from gate A36.
Owens is now facing a potential sentence of up to ten years in federal prison with sentencing slated for May 2nd of this year (2025).
This case investigation was conducted jointly by The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Division alongside DFW Airport Department of Public Safety while prosecution efforts are being led under Assistant U.S Attorney Justin Beck's direction.