An 83-year-old high-end collector, safari hunter and global businessman from Nevada was charged Tuesday with grabbing the breast of a medical assistant as they flew to Minnesota on his private jet for a hospital visit.
Robert M. Lee of Reno was charged in federal court in Minneapolis with assault, accused of grabbing and painfully twisting the nipple of a paramedic/respiratory specialist, who said: "You do not touch me like that. Do not do that again."
According to the indictment, Lee responded "I can do whatever I want. ... This is my airplane."
Lee then allegedly made a pinching gesture with his fingers toward a registered nurse who also was on the Sept. 21, 2010, flight to Rochester, saying, "That's what I'm going to do with you."
Lee also told the nurse that she should wear a V-neck shirt so he could slide his hand in more easily, according to the indictment.
If convicted, Lee faces a maximum penalty of six months in prison.
"While this is only a misdemeanor, it still must be addressed because no one is above the law," said Jeanne Cooney, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office. "We take all crime seriously, particularly crimes with victims. And in this case, the victim was confined to an aircraft for a long period of time and was unable to leave."
The case is being prosecuted at the federal level because the crime because airspace falls under federal jurisdiction, she said.
