Florida Man Sentenced for Assaulting Gate Agent at DFW Airport

A Florida man who assaulted a gate agent at DFW Airport was sentenced to four months in federal prison, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham. 

Keith Charles Owens, 53, was charged via criminal complaint in November 2024 and pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging interference with security screening personnel in January 2025.  He was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor, who also ordered Owens to pay nearly $6,000 in restitution.

In plea papers, Mr. Owens admitted that he assaulted an American Airlines gate agent at DFW Airport on Oct. 5, 2024.  Security footage showed Mr. Owens repeatedly punched the gate agent in the head.

According to court documents, around 4:42 p.m., Mr. Owens approached the gate agent at gate A36, explained he was late, and attempted to scan his boarding pass. When the gate agent informed him he was at the wrong gate, Mr. Owens cursed and walked away. The agent then radioed the correct gate, A35, to inform airline personnel that Mr. Owens was headed their way and appeared to be intoxicated. 

Mr. Owens then walked onto the A35 jet bridge without scanning his boarding pass.  Airline personnel removed him from the jet bridge. 
 

A few moments later, at 4:48 p.m., Mr. Owens again approached gate A36.  He began yelling at the gate agent, grabbed him by the shoulders, and punched him repeatedly in the face and neck.  Eventually, airline personnel were able to restrain him. 

Both the gate agent and the personnel who assisted in restraining Mr. Owens sustained minor injuries.  The flight departing from gate A36 was delayed. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation with the DFW Airport Department of Public Safety.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Beck prosecuted the case.