A 32-year-old Charles County man faces nearly two decades in federal prison after a grand jury indicted him for allegedly attacking two Transportation Security Administration officers at a Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport security checkpoint.
The indictment, announced Thursday by federal and state officials, charges Cornelius Queen with assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers and interfering with airport security screening personnel.
The charges stem from an April 2, 2026, incident at the airport. According to court records, Queen forcibly assaulted two lead TSA transportation security officers while they were working at a screening checkpoint, disrupting their ability to perform security screenings.
Surveillance footage played during a court proceeding captured additional violence leading up to the checkpoint altercation. The video allegedly shows Queen attacking a bystander and the bystander’s two children, before attempting to assault another traveler nearby.
The case was investigated by a joint effort between the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, the TSA, and the Maryland Transportation Authority Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ty Pittinger is prosecuting the case.
If a jury convicts Queen on all federal counts, he faces a maximum penalty of 18 years in federal prison. However, federal authorities noted that actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the statutory maximums, as a federal district court judge will ultimately determine the sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other legal factors.
An indictment is purely an accusation and does not constitute a finding of guilt. Under U.S. law, Queen is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
