British man to pay $20K for actions that forced Newark-bound plane to divert to Maine

A British man has been forced to pay more than $20,000 in restitution fees for his aggressive actions that diverted a Newark-bound flight to Maine earlier this year, authorities said.

Alexander Michael Dominic MacDonald, 30, was sentenced last week after he was arrested on March 1 and will forfeit $20,638, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Maine. He had been in custody since his arrest and was sentenced to time served by Judge Lance E. Walker.

According to court records, MacDonald was a passenger on a United Airlines flight from London to Newark when he began causing a disturbance during an argument with his traveling companion. He then stated that he would "mess up the plane" when flight attendants and the purser on board intervened.

MacDonald "became belligerent, threatening, and intimidating" toward crew members as they attempted to calm him down, according to a press release from the attorney's office. When his conduct continued, he was restrained with flex cuffs as the flight was diverted to Bangor, Maine.

MacDonald pleaded guilty March 22. Last week, the District Court of Maine remanded him to the custody of the U.S. Marshal for deportation to England, according to a USA TODAY article .

MacDonald and his girlfriend, with whom he was traveling the day of the incident, have also been banned from future United flights, the agency told USA TODAY.

The FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Bangor Police Department all investigated the case.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: British man to pay $20K for actions that forced Newark-bound plane to divert to Maine