A deputy US Marshal who was traveling to London to extradite a man wanted in the United States was arrested on arrival at Heathrow Airport after he was accused of being drunk during the flight and causing an inflight disturbance.
The Marshal was also accused of sexual assault during the Delta Air Lines flight, although London’s Metropolitan Police later said that no further action would be taken in relation to this allegation.
According to law enforcement sources, Michael Brereton was travelling with a second US Marshal, and they both became intoxicated during the course of the flight. The pair were initially detained by police but the second unnamed Marshal was subsequently released.
Brereton and his colleague were flying to London to pick up a prisoner and bring them back to the US but Brereton is currently barred from leaving the United Kingdom while the criminal case progresses and his colleague was sent back to New York the same day.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said Brereton was arrested after the crew onboard Delta flight DL1 from New York JFK reported a passenger being “disruptive”.
The US Marshal Service said in a statement provided to CNN that one of its Marshals had “engaged in serious alleged misconduct while intoxicated”. The service noted that the Marshals did not have anyone in their custody during the flight to London.
“The U.S. Marshals Service takes seriously any allegations of misconduct by its employees,” a separate statement read. “The alleged actions of the employees do not reflect the professionalism of the thousands of employees of the USMS or its core values.”
Brereton has been released on bail, but his passport has been confiscated until the conclusion of the criminal case. He is due to appear in court on Friday.
