Kenji Okamoto, who is Japanese, pleaded guilty Friday to interfering with the duties of a flight attendant by assaulting and intimidating him. ...
Okamoto got upset when one of the flight attendants wouldn't take his meal tray away, the court document said. The flight attendant told him his hands were full. Okamoto allegedly "threw a roundhouse type punch" at a flight attendant who intervened in an attempt to diffuse the situation. ...
The Delta Air Lines flight crew told authorities that Okamoto later apologized while crying, remained calm for the remainder of the flight and eventually fell asleep.
After crew members restrained him in his seat, "Okamoto apologized for his actions by repeatedly saying 'I'm sorry' and bowed down on his knees and placed his head on the floor," the complaint said.
During an interview with authorities, Okamoto said he's in the construction business and was "drinking heavily because he was celebrating his honeymoon with his wife ...
U.S. Magistrate Kevin Chang initially allowed Okamoto, 30, of Kyoto, to be released on $50,000 bond, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Hino appealed, arguing that Okamoto didn't disclose a previous conviction in Japan for assaulting a police officer. Hino's appeal provided photos of the Okamoto's near full-body tattoos, arguing that Okamoto is a flight risk and a danger. ...
Because he was arrested at the airport, he never got to enjoy his honeymoon, which was to be spent at a luxury resort in east Honolulu, Hino said.
He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison when he's sentenced on Sept. 22.
Let's see ... construction business, covered in tattoos, previous conviction for assaulting a cop. What could all that mean?
Anyway, I'm curious how this guy managed to kowtow while restrained to his seat.