William R. McKelvy, 65, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was convicted Wednesday of abusive sexual contact following a swift jury trial, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy E. Larson.
Evidence presented at trial showed that on April 25, 2023, McKelvy boarded a Southwest Airlines flight from Tulsa to Dallas. On four separate occasions during the flight, McKelvy groped the breast and inner thigh of a woman seated next to him. The victim initially believed the first contact might be inadvertent or due to flight anxiety, but after the second instance, she forcefully pushed him away and warned him to keep his hands to himself. Despite this, McKelvy groped her a third time. The victim testified that she felt trapped until the fourth instance, at which point she loudly confronted him, yelling, “Get your ******* hand off me, or I will break your ******* hand!”
Witnesses testified that the commotion drew the attention of fellow passengers who intervened, telling McKelvy to stop and move seats. A flight attendant was alerted, and McKelvy was moved to the back of the plane for the remainder of the flight. Police were arranged to meet him upon landing at Love Field Airport. McKelvy admitted to officers that he had vaped on the plane and downplayed the incident, stating only that he had "flirted with this chick" on the flight.
McKelvy testified in his own defense, claiming he did not remember anything about the incident due to consuming 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.”
FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock emphasized the federal nature of such crimes: “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. 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 from Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vince Mazzurco and Michelle Winters.
