Saudi Arabian Citizen Pleads Guilty To Physically Assaulting TSA Officer At Orlando International Airport

Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Mohammed Abdullah Alomaim (43, Saudi Arabia) today pleaded guilty to physically assaulting a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer, a felony under federal law.  U.S. District Judge Gregory A. Presnell sentenced Alomaim to the time that he has already served since the offense, and a two-year term of supervised release. As a result of his conviction, Alomaim will be deported from the United States.

According to the plea agreement, on January 18, 2015, Alomaim came into contact with TSA officers at an Orlando International Airport checkpoint. Over the course of approximately two hours, he began behaving erratically, making other visitors at the airport uncomfortable, and repeatedly left his bags unattended. As a TSA officer approached Alomaim to speak with him, he struck the officer in the face. Alomaim was immediately taken into custody.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orlando Police Department, with assistance from the Transportation Security Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany L. Cummins.