Source: Office of United States Attorneys
William R. McKelvy, 65, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was convicted Wednesday of abusive sexual contact following a brief jury trial, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Evidence at trial showed that McKelvy boarded a Southwest Airlines flight from Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Dallas, Texas, on April 25, 2023. On four different occasions, McKelvy groped the breast and inner thigh of a woman sitting next to him. The first time, the victim thought perhaps it was inadvertent contact or that McKelvy was afraid of flying and mistakenly grabbed her. The second time, a few minutes later, the victim forcefully pushed McKelvy away and told him to keep his hands to himself. Undeterred, McKelvy groped the victim a third time. The victim testified at trial that she felt trapped in her seat until McKelvy groped her a fourth time, at which point she yelled, “Get your ******* hand off me, or I will break your ******* hand!”
Witnesses testified that this commotion caught the attention of fellow passengers who intervened, telling McKelvy to stop this behavior and to change seats. A passenger flagged down a flight attendant who had McKelvy moved to the back of the plane for the remainder of the flight and arranged for police to meet McKelvy when they landed at Love Field Airport. McKelvy admitted to those officers that he had vaped on the plane. When asked if he was involved in any confrontations with another passenger, McKelvy downplayed his actions, stating only that he had “flirted with this chick” on the flight.
McKelvy, who testified at trial on his own behalf, claimed not to remember anything about the incident due to his consumption of alcohol and marijuana gummies before the flight. The jury deliberated for less than 30 minutes before returning a guilty verdict.
“No person should have to endure egregious attacks such as this aboard an aircraft, where appropriate behavior is crucial for the well-being of all passengers,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson. “We applaud the swift response of fellow passengers, crew members, and our law enforcement partners in this case to come to the victim’s defense. For her sake and the community’s, we will continue to bring predators like this to justice and deter others from doing so.”
“Sexual assault aboard an aircraft is a federal crime investigated by the FBI. It is because of fellow passengers and the flight crew that the defendant was detained and charged for assaulting the victim multiple times,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The public can rest assured that the FBI will thoroughly investigate any federal crime committed aboard an aircraft. We encourage everyone to be air aware and ask that victims or witnesses report an incident to the flight crew immediately.”
McKelvy is scheduled to be sentenced on September 8, 2025, before United States Chief District Judge David C. Godbey, who presided over the trial. McKelvy faces a maximum of three years in federal prison.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas Brasher and Madeleine Case are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Gordon of the office’s Appellate Division, and prior contributions of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vince Mazzurco and Michelle Winters.