conducted by reporter Amy Davis of Houston news station KPRC into the possibility that air marshals with criminal convictions were still being employed by FAMS. The investigation discovered that 28 had been hired with pre-existing misdemeanors and that several current air marshals had been convicted of or were awaiting trial for offenses including disorderly conduct, DUIs, and sexual crimes against children. The investigation led to U.S. Congressman Ted Poe of Houston getting involved. On August 6, 2006, two air marshals were sentenced in the Southern District of Texas (Houston) after having been convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and also on bribery charges. According to a Department of Justice press release, "Shawn Ray Nguyen, 38, and Burlie L. Sholar, 33, were sentenced to 87 months and 108 months in federal prison, respectively, by United States District Judge Kenneth Hoyt on Monday, August 28, 2006. Nguyen’s lesser sentence is a result of the court's consideration of his cooperation with the United States." FAMS effectiveness against crime and terror, has also been questioned. According to Congressman John J. Duncan, the air marshal program has led to only 4.2 arrests a year, at an average cost of $200 million per arrest. He argued that this represents a win of the perceived dangers of terror, supported by a profit center-type approach, over realistic spending priorities. On August 20, 2018, two air marshals were detained at the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport after one of them allegedly showed their gun to the air crew during the flight, instead of their badge, as is required. The flight crew became suspicious and declared an emergency and landed the aircraft. See also List of United States federal law enforcement agencies Federal Flight Deck Officer Aircraft hijacking Airport security Public transport security Federal Bureau of Investigation U.S. Customs and Border Protection U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Sky marshal Terrorism Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response team Non-Stop (film) References External links TSA Office of Law Enforcement/FAMS Website Federal Air Marshal News Archives & Links History of the Federal Air Marshal Service Aviation in the United States Federal law enforcement agencies of the United States Specialist law enforcement agencies of the United States Transportation Security Administration * 1961 establishments in the United States