Oregon Man Sentenced for Assaulting Passenger and Flight Crew Member

ALBUQUERQUE – An Oregon man pleaded guilty in federal court to assaulting a fellow passenger and flight crew member in 2021 on a Delta Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Nashville. Asiel Christian Norton, 46, of Salem, Oregon, pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of simple assault and was sentenced to one year of probation.

According to court documents, on June 4, 2021, Norton was a passenger on Delta Airlines Flight 386. During the flight, Norton rushed to the front of the plane and assaulted another passenger by crashing into and injuring him. When a flight crew member tried to get Norton to return to his seat, Norton shoved him.

U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement today.

The FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Stanford is prosecuting the case.

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