Dallas Man Faces Federal Charges After Allegedly Pushing Around Flight Attendants

This is NOT the way to win friends and influence people. Not these days.

A 35-year old Dallas man is in some serious trouble after he was arrested last week on a flight from Dallas to New Orleans. Larry Thirstrup is charged with verbally abusing a flight attendant on board the Southwest Airlines flight. Even worse, he's charged with assaulting her by grabbing her shoulders.

For that, Thirstrup faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

FBI spokeswoman Sheila Thorne says Thistrup demanded a drink from the flight attendant during Tuesday night's trip to the Big Easy. But the aircraft hadn't yet reached cruising altitude. In short, it wasn't time to drink yet.

When told he couldn't have a drink, Thirstrup allegedly became abusive, jumped out of his seat, then yelled at and grabbed the flight attendant. Witnesses say he then sat back down, apparently thought the whole thing over, and decided the bar was open at his discretion. Thorne says he got back up again and served himself a bottle of wine from the galley.

Thirstrup is free on $25,000 bond.

FMI: www.fbi.gov