TUCSON — A Tucson man who was bound with duct tape by fellow passengers aboard an American Airlines flight has been indicted on federal charges, prosecutors announced Tuesday, KTAR News reported.
Arthur Layne Lundeen, 67, is charged with interfering with flight crew members and assault by striking, beating and wounding, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Maryland.
Lundeen was on Flight 618 from Dallas-Fort Worth to Newark, New Jersey, on Sept. 3 when the plane diverted to Baltimore. The indictment says he attacked another passenger, ignored flight attendants and directed abusive language, including racial slurs, at the crew.
Witnesses told news outlets he also used homophobic slurs and hit the passenger seated next to him before travelers helped flight attendants subdue him. Photos and video of him bound in duct tape spread widely online.
If convicted, Lundeen faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the interference charge and up to a year on the assault charge.
Lundeen had worked as a real estate agent with Long Realty Co. in Tucson. The company said it cut ties with him, calling the reported conduct “wholly inconsistent” with its standards.
Sources: KTAR News. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Unknown authorUnknown author or not provided / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
