ORLANDO, Fla. -- A Lake County man has been sentenced to seven years and three months in prison for attacking a customs officer at Orlando International Airport. 

  • Lake County man sentenced for attacking customs officer
  • John Myrick got into a fight with the officer last year at OIA
  • Myrick, 67, was sentenced to 7 years, 3 months in prison

John Craig Myrick, 67, of Groveland, was convicted in January for assualting the officer and sentenced in federal court Thursday. 

In August 2018, Myrick was at OIA after returning from a trip to Bogota, Colombia. While going through the screening aea, a customs officer directed Myrick to the baggage seating area.

According to prosecutors, Myrick got into a fight with another officer while in the seating area. The officer tried to control Myrick by grabbing his arm but Myrick pulled away, falling on top of the officer. 

Officials say Myrick began punching the officer in the back of the head several times. The officer suffered a fractured ankle during the fight.