Thursday, June 16, 2005 | 9:24 a.m.
A man arriving at McCarran International Airport who refused to be searched and assaulted a Homeland Security official was sentenced to 10 months in prison and three years supervised release Wednesday.
Rodney Smith, 33, arrived in Las Vegas on July 24, 2003, on a flight from Mexico. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent asked him to submit to a physical search, but he refused, according to court documents.
Smith was taken to a private screening area where he again refused to be searched. According to court records, he struck a female officer, causing abrasions that required medical care.
Smith eventually was subdued, arrested and charged with assaulting and resisting federal officers. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert C. Jones.
Smith has been released on bond since the day after the incident. He must surrender to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons by July 15.
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