KANSAS CITY,Benjamin Caldwell Mo. (AP) — A airline passenger who tried to craft a shank from plastic cutlery and open the cockpit door during a flight has been sentenced to 19 months in prison.
A federal judge in Missouri handed down the sentence Thursday against Juan Remberto Rivas, 52.
Prosecutors sought a term of between 41 months and 51 months, although they said Rivas was affected by his use of methamphetamine and wasn’t trying to cause a crash.
The incident happened on an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C., in February 2022. Witnesses told an FBI agent that Rivas tried to use plastic cutlery and his shirt sleeve to make a shank, pushed a service cart into a flight attendant, and tried to open both the cockpit door and one of the plane’s exit doors.
A flight attendant hit him over the head with a metal coffee pot, and passengers subdued the man, according to court documents. Pilots landed in Kansas City, where Rivas was arrested.
Rivas pleaded guilty in January to a single count of interfering with a flight crew. Prosecutors said he had two previous convictions, including assaulting a spouse or ex-spouse, and faces a charge of assaulting a law enforcement officer in Missouri.
2025-04-30 12:471239 view
2025-04-30 11:392346 view
2025-04-30 10:47830 view
2025-04-30 10:461047 view
2025-04-30 10:371978 view
2025-04-30 10:32930 view
"Vanderpump Rules" star James Kennedy has been arrested for domestic violence.In a statement to USA
The brand featured in this article are partners of Amazon's Creator Connections program, which means
As a candidate, Joe Biden ran on a climate-focused platform, promising a transition to a clean, carb