A former SkyWest flight attendant has pled guilty to making fake bomb threats on two flights in 2015 that forced one plane to turn back mid-flight and caused a temporary airport closure.

According to the Associated Press, Justin Cox-Sever, 23, of Tempe, Arizona, pled guilty on Saturday to four out of five charges of interfering with an aircraft.

In an FBI affidavit obtained by the Associated Press, Special Agent Daniel Genck wrote that Cox-Server admitted to placing a bag of towels on a September 2015 flight from Minneapolis to Dickinson, North Dakota, and reporting that it was making a beeping noise. That bogus threat resulted in a temporary closure of the Dickinson airport. And on a July 2015 flight from Charlottesville, Virginia, to Chicago, Cox-Server also reportedly admitted to writing a threat on a bathroom wall.

According to the terms of the plea deal, prosecutors will reportedly drop a fifth charge of interfering with an aircraft, which will reduce the potential sentence from 70 to 50 years. Court documents obtained by the Associated Press show that Cox-Server also faces up to $1 million in fines and restitution.

Cox-Served had been based in Tempe, Arizona. It is not yet known what his motive was for the fake threats.

Photo: Southwest Multi-County Corrections Center