Background: An Alaska Airlines jet. March 2021. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)/Inset: Roger Allan Holmberg Sr. selfie (Roger Allan Holmberg Fan Club on Facebook).
Roger Allan Holmberg Sr., a 75-year-old pastor from Virginia, is facing a federal simple assault charge after he allegedly struck his wife — who has epilepsy — on the head during a flight to Alaska, an incident that prosecutors say was sparked because he became outraged that her seat was upgraded to first class while his was not.
In an FBI affidavit underpinning the criminal complaint filed on July 3, a special agent said Holmberg was aboard an Alaska Airlines flight departing Seattle, Washington, and destined for Anchorage on July 2 when he allegedly struck his wife on the top of her head. His wife, whose name was not revealed in court records, later told investigators that Holmberg “had previously been abusive” and had broken her finger in September 2023.
Over a series of interviews with witnesses from the plane, including one off-duty police officer, the FBI agent alleges that Holmberg’s wife was repeatedly accosted during the flight and it began when Holmberg first approached her and demanded to know: “How the hell did you get the upgrade?”
“I’m a gold point member,” the pastor’s wife replied. “Don’t speak to me like that.”
Court records indicate that there were at least two more aggressive maneuvers by Holmberg after that exchange. The second time the pastor accosted his wife, he allegedly “handed his phone to the victim from the aisle, told victim to read that, and then gave victim the finger.”
A second witness told investigators he was in his own seat when he observed Holmberg push in front of him and attempt to “swing his arm” toward his wife. The witness said they tried to block Holmberg’s strike but it still looked like the 75-year-old’s hand connected to the top of his wife’s skull.
In an in interview with authorities, Holmberg’s wife said her husband had a “history of abusing her” and that during the flight, he did strike her on the top of her head with the back of his knuckles.
“Victim also reported that [Holmberg] knew victim had epilepsy and that contact to victim’s head could cause a seizure,” the affidavit states. “The victim stated that she had thought about reporting the abuse in the past but never did. However, after this incident she wanted to report it.”
There were no noticeable bruises or cuts on the woman’s head, according to the FBI, though Holmberg’s finger was bandaged.
In an interview with police, Holmberg allegedly said that he and his wife, who knew each other for 20 years before getting married a little more than a year ago following the passing of his previous wife, had attended marriage counseling. Holmberg accused his current wife of being “disrespectful to him often” and said she had “anger issues.”
The pastor also alleged that on a previous occasion, his wife grabbed his leg while he was driving and that’s what prompted her finger to be broken.
He said his wife “grabbed his genitals in the past with such force” that it caused him pain, too.
They were traveling for an event tied to their ministry according to the affidavit, and Holmberg said the entire exchange on the plane only happened because he was mad that he could not sit next to his wife during the flight from Seattle to Anchorage.
“Although he was upset, he stated he was not a violent person and did not intend to hurt his wife,” the affidavit states.
Holmberg insisted he did not hit his wife on the head but only “tapped” her to “get her attention,” according to the FBI agent.
“[Holmberg] was not sure how others would interpret his interactions with his wife. He had been confronted by a police officer on the plane and insisted he did nothing wrong,” the affidavit says.
Prosecutors say the off-duty law enforcement officer on board heard Holmberg’s wife say “You cannot be doing that” after Holmberg struck her. Then, the off-duty officer turned witness said he watched Holmberg walk toward a first-class lavatory. The witness told the FBI that when Holmberg emerged from the lavatory, he told the pastor that if there were “any further incidents, we would put him in handcuffs.”
Court records show that Holmberg was arrested and charged with simple assault and detained at the Anchorage Correctional Center. He was arraigned on Monday and then released on his own recognizance. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew McCrary Scroble.
It is not yet clear when he appears in court next. Should he be convicted, Holmberg could face up to three years in prison for the simple assault charge.
As of Tuesday, a federal public defender was assigned to represent him. The public defender did not immediately return a request for comment.
Alaska Airlines has banned the pastor from flights going forward, a spokesperson confirmed.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available online or by phone at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).
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