A man who slapped a crying infant on a plane is scheduled for sentencing in federal court on Monday, the Miami Herald reported.
Joe Rickey Hundley, 60, pleaded guilty in October after reaching a deal with federal prosecutors.
In February, Hundley was on a Delta Airlines flight from Minneapolis to Atlanta when he called a 19-month-old boy, who is black, by a racial slur and struck him under the right eye.
Jessica Bennet, the boy's mother, said her son was crying due to the change in cabin pressure as the plane began to land. She added that after Hundley hit him, he began to bleed and cry even more.
A Delta spokesman said flight attendants separated the two passengers up before landing and called authorities to meet them.
The simple assault charge carries up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Prosecutors originally asked for six months, but Hundley argued for a lower sentencing.
However, the judge does not have to follow recommendations from the plea agreement.
Hundley's attorney, Marcia Shein, said that her client was on his way to see his dying son who was set to be removed from life support after overdosing on insulin.
She added that Hundley hadn't slept and was under immense pressure.
"He was grieving and very upset," Shein said after a hearing. "That's why we're going to trial."
Hundley's son died a few days later. He was also fired from his company after news of the allegations.
