Assault of a TSA Officer at RDU Airport Gets Man 37 Months in Federal Prison

WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Raleigh man, Adonis Fabian Zorrilla, was sentenced today to 37 months in prison, 3 years supervised release, and $4,103.35 in restitution for assaulting a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer at Raleigh-Durham International (RDU) Airport.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, Zorrilla, 27, and a traveling companion went through a security checkpoint at RDU airport on March 6, 2022. TSA officers pulled their bags for additional screening and discovered 17 false identification cards with Zorilla’s photo and a variety of names. Zorrilla grabbed the TSA officer’s arm and unsuccessfully attempted to wrestle the identification cards from her, tearing one of the TSA officer’s ligaments in the scuffle. Zorrilla then fled RDU airport without his shoes or other belongings as those remained at the security checkpoint. On April 29, 2022, Zorrilla was arrested for Forgery in Bibb County, Georgia, and brought to the Eastern District of North Carolina to face this charge. On August 9, 2022, Zorrilla pled guilty to the charge. 

Zorrilla has prior felony convictions in North Carolina for Common Law Robbery, Possession with Intent to Sell and Deliver Heroin, Identity Theft, and Trafficking Stolen Identities, as well as a conviction for Reckless Driving to Endanger. 

Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the RDU Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad DeVoe prosecuted the case. Additional assistance was provided by TSA.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:21-CR-33-BO.

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