U.S. Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation

FBI JACKSON, PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Contact: Deborah Madden FBI
(601) 948-5000

Press Release
For Immediate Release
May 2, 2008

TOLEDO WOMAN FACES AIRPORT DISRUPTION CHARGES

On April 30, 2008 the FBI arrested 51-year old Kim Rochell Watson of Toledo, Ohio, and charged her with disruption of a checkpoint at an airport, which is a felony under Title 49, United States Code, Section 46503. The crime is punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Watson was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 8, 2008, and surrendered to FBI Special Agents in Gulfport, Mississippi.

The arrest stems from a joint investigation with the Gulfport Police Department, the FBI and Transportation Security Administration officials related to a January 24, 2008 incident which occurred at the Gulfport/Biloxi International Airport. Watson was arrested by the Gulfport Police Department for aggravated assault on a police officer and several misdemeanor charges, along with her husband, Eli Watson, and brother, Stephen Kemp, who were also arrested on misdemeanor charges. Eli Watson and Stephen Kemp are also from Toledo, Ohio.

Kim Watson made an initial appearance before Senior United States Magistrate Judge John M. Roper at the Federal Courthouse in Gulfport on April 30, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. After entering a plea of not guilty, she was released on a $25,000 signature bond. The trial of this matter is set for June 16, 2008.

Frederick T. Brink, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Mississippi, stated, “Conduct or behavior that disrupts the procedures set in place to protect and insure the safety of each and every traveler cannot be tolerated. The Agents and Officers representing the FBI, the Gulfport Police Department and the TSA acted quickly and responsibly to resolve a potentially dangerous situation.”

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial, at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.