HOUSTON – A 34-year-old Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer is accused of violating a passenger’s civil rights and obstruction, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has announced.
Christopher Edwards Dowell, a Conroe resident, was arrested on Wednesday.
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The charges allege Dowell deprived a woman of her civil rights at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. While conducting a secondary inspection, he allegedly touched the victim’s breasts without her consent. He then engaged in obstruction by attempting to cover up the incident with information he submitted in the secondary inspection report, according to a federal indictment.
If convicted, Dowell faces up to 20 years in prison for obstruction as well as another year for the violation of civil rights. The obstruction and civil rights charges also carry potential fines of $250,000 and $100,000, respectively.
The Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.