A 35-year-old Australian man has pleaded not guilty to a federal charge after prosecutors say he violently confronted a Transportation Security Administration officer inside Los Angeles International Airport.
Thomas Jesse Bingham, of Melbourne, entered his plea Thursday in federal court in Los Angeles, facing a charge of assault on a federal officer resulting in bodily injury.
If convicted, he could spend up to eight years behind bars. A tentative trial date is set for May 12.
The incident unfolded March 15, when Bingham was preparing to travel to Las Vegas.
According to the US Department of Justice, he became convinced a TSA officer had taken his backpack and passport.
Authorities say Bingham approached the uniformed officer while he was in a restroom and then followed him out, where the confrontation escalated.
Prosecutors allege Bingham grabbed the officer’s uniform, ripped off his identification lanyard, pulled his hair, and shoved him into a glass wall during the altercation.
The agent later reported pain in his hand and back and sought medical evaluation.
Airport police initially arrested Bingham, and officials later located his missing carry-on bag and passport at a restaurant in Terminal 7 that he had visited earlier.
He was released from custody but was taken into custody again at LAX before boarding a flight to the United Kingdom.
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