A former California Highway Patrol captain from the San Gabriel Valley is expected to plead guilty Thursday to a federal charge stemming from an alleged incident on a Los Angeles-bound flight, where he’s accused of slapping a flight attendant’s behind, declaring his “love” for the man and exposing himself.
Dennis Woodbury, 50, of Azusa, has agreed to enter a plea to one count of “abusive sexual contact within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States,” a felony carrying a possible sentence of up to two years behind bars, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors say Woodbury drank a bottle of prosecco on the JetBlue Airways flight April 13 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Los Angeles International Airport. Before the plane took off, Woodbury engaged in “inappropriate conduct” with two flight attendants, prosecutors contend.
Court papers allege that Woodbury showed one of the flight stewards a pornographic photo, and later told one of the attendants that the two of them should go on a cruise together, according to federal prosecutors.
Just after meal service and while the plane was still in the air, the second flight attendant collected passengers’ meal trays and walked past Woodbury. Prosecutors allege Woodbury, who was apparently drunk on the sparkling wine, slapped the steward’s butt. He then shouted that he loved the man, according to documents filed in the case.
Prosecutors contend that at another point, the first attendant was in the plane’s front galley when Woodbury entered, pulled down his trousers and exposed himself. The steward told Woodbury off and denied a request for more wine, and the passenger again pulled down his trousers, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
During interviews with law enforcement, the flight attendants confirmed that neither of them consented to Woodbury’s alleged advances, federal prosecutors said.