A former Frontier Airlines pilot who once told a judge he had “lost my temper” is now taking his chances with a jury. On Monday, Andrew Brenneman, a onetime Frontier captain, pulled back a guilty plea in a Kenton County courtroom and said he would rather go to trial than accept a deal that could include time behind bars. He is facing domestic-violence assault and harassing communications charges tied to allegations from his ex-girlfriend, former Frontier flight attendant Molly Burnam.
According to court records, the criminal case centers on claims that Brenneman assaulted Burnam at their Covington apartment in March 2025, then weeks later phoned in a bomb threat that got her pulled off a flight in May 2025. In court, Brenneman acknowledged he had “lost my temper,” according to reporting, but he is now contesting the charges instead of standing by his earlier plea.
Court Move and Trial Date
Brenneman formally withdrew his guilty plea and a jury trial is now set for April 10, 2026, in Kenton County District Court, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer. His criminal attorney told the court that Brenneman has already lost his job with Frontier Airlines and that he is opting for a full trial in hopes of avoiding a jail sentence. Prosecutors say he remains charged with domestic-violence assault and harassing communications.
Bomb Scare That Grounded a Flight
Court filings and police paperwork made public in reporting say Brenneman reported a bomb threat in May 2025 targeting a Frontier flight Burnam was working. The call triggered a bomb scare that led airline staff and airport police to question her and remove her from the plane at Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport.
Burnam told the judge she believes the report was fabricated to keep her from returning to Greater Cincinnati for a hearing, and airline officials later told investigators they did not find the threat credible. As reported by The Jerusalem Post, investigators ultimately traced the warning back to Brenneman.
Allegations and Civil Suit
On a separate legal track, Burnam has filed a federal lawsuit in Covington naming Frontier, Brenneman and several other employees. She alleges the deplaning incident forced her onto other flights and cost her work. Burnam told the court she has had no income since July 2025 and that other pilots were uncomfortable flying with her after the bomb scare.
Court documents in the criminal case describe two separate alleged assaults in March 2025 at the couple’s Covington apartment. Burnam has said the bomb report delayed her return to the Cincinnati area and compounded the fallout from the alleged violence. “I’m speaking the truth and I’m standing here because I survived,” Burnam told the court and reporters, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Legal Implications
By yanking his plea and heading for trial, Brenneman is forcing prosecutors to prove the domestic-violence and harassment counts beyond a reasonable doubt, even as the federal civil case against him and Frontier moves ahead on a separate timetable. The two tracks could lead to very different outcomes. A criminal conviction could later factor into any civil remedies, while an acquittal in the Kenton County case would not automatically end Burnam’s federal lawsuit.
Both sides will be able to call witnesses and present evidence when the jury trial opens on April 10. The case has raised questions about how airlines and courts handle allegations that blur professional and personal lines, and it has drawn extra attention because both the accused and the alleged victim worked for the same carrier. With a jury date now just weeks away, legal watchers in Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati will be keeping a close eye on how state prosecutors and the federal civil docket navigate the overlapping criminal and employment-related claims.
