A Carnival passenger is in prison following a 2023 assault. Michael Truman, the man who attacked a fellow passenger on Carnival Magic in 2023, is serving a prison sentence of over two years.
Judge Allen of the Norfolk Federal Court in Eastern Virginia sentenced Truman to two and a half years in prison, in addition to 50 months of mandated anger management and substance abuse treatment, the DOJ confirmed to Cruise Radio in an email.
Assault With a Glass
The 39-year-old man was convicted of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. The incident occurred on October 20, 2023, when a fellow passenger asked him to be quiet during a performance in the ship’s theater.
After asking twice, the guest eventually got up to seek assistance from crew members. Truman forcibly stopped him by assaulting him with a bar glass.
In an affidavit obtained by USA Today, FBI Special Agent Sean Danaher reported that Truman “picked up his drink glass and smashed it into” the victim’s face. The perpetrator proceeded to pin down the victim and struck him repeatedly.
Truman’s victim required approximately 19 stitches due to the attack. In the affidavit, the wife of the assault victim noted that Truman seemed intoxicated at the time. The perpetrator repeatedly claimed that the other passenger swung at him, and he responded in self-defense.
Crew members kept the assailant confined to his stateroom for the remainder of the cruise. He also received a lifetime ban from Carnival Cruise Line.
When the altercation occurred, the vessel was 123 nautical miles from Nantucket, Massachusetts, and was returning to Norfolk, Virginia.
Guilty Plea and Incarceration
On February 15, 2024, Truman pleaded guilty to the assault charges against him. Since turning himself over to authorities on September 27, he has been serving his prison sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution in Beaumont, Texas.
In early September, a similar incident occurred when a passenger struck a waiter’s face with a glass after being warned about misusing his drinks package.
Carnival Cruise Line’s CHEERS! drink package currently lets guests order 15 alcoholic beverages per day.
