Melvin Townsend, the man who was punched by Mike Tyson, has a long criminal history

Melvin Townsend, the man who was punched by Mike Tyson, has a long criminal history.
Image via TMZ/ Facebook Mike Tyson

Man who taunted Mike Tyson has long criminal history

The man who taunted and received a beating from retired boxer Mike Tyson has a long history of petty crimes, claim police.

Melvin Townsend, the man who was punched by Mike Tyson, has a long criminal history

Melvin Townsend, the man who was punched by Mike Tyson, has a long criminal history.
Image via TMZ/ Facebook Mike Tyson

The man who taunted Mike Tyson on board a flight – and subsequently received a beating from the former boxer – has a long rap sheet

Melvin Townsend – the 36-year-old man who was punched on the plane – has had his criminal history made public after his run-in with the retired heavyweight champion.

ALSO READ: ‘Chill’ Mike Tyson smoked a joint before plane altercation [watch]

DRUGS, THEFT AND FRAUD

According to TMZ, Townsend has been convicted of fraud, grand theft, burglary, possession of controlled substances and trafficking in stolen property.

The Florida man served two stints in prison: once for 20 months and another for 15 months.

In video footage that has gone viral, Mike Tyson is seen raining down punches on Townsend on a Jet Blue flight at San Francisco International Airport bound for Miami.

This after Townsend continuously badgered the 55-year-old star and thew a water bottle at him.

Mike’s spokesperson told USA TODAY Sports: “Unfortunately, Mr. Tyson had an incident on a flight with an aggressive passenger who began harassing him and threw a water bottle at him while he was in his seat.

Tyson has not been arrested in connection with his actions Wednesday.

MIKE TYSON’S CRIMINAL HISTORY

Meanwhile, Mike Tyson’s own lengthy criminal history has come under the spotlight.

In 2020, the father of seven revealed in an interview that he experienced a troubled childhood and had been arrested 40 times at the tender age of 12 years old.

He told IMPAULSIVE podcast that he was regularly caught for petty crimes that included “burglaries, pick-pocketing, and snatching jewelry.”

He said: “I didn’t want to let my mother down. My mother really did a lot. Always going to police stations to get my a** out. She would beat my a** so bad, in front of the police. I’ve been arrested 40 times before I was 12.

“My mother was so humble and proud and I was arrogant.”

Mike Tyson was later introduced to a trainer who helped him develop a love of boxing.

In 1989 actress Robin Givens divorced Mike after claiming the boxer inflicted “unspeakable abuse on her”, both verbal and physical. The couple were married for just eight months.

In 1991, Mike Tyson was convicted of raping 18-year-old Miss Black America contestant Desiree Washington. He spent three years in prison

However Tyson maintains his innocence. He wrote in his 2013 biography Undisputed Truth: My Autobiography: “I did not rape Desiree Washington.

“She knows it, God knows it, and the consequences of her actions are something that she’s got to live with for the rest of her life.

“I have not raped anyone, tried to rape anyone by any means. I’m sorry for Miss Washington as a person. I by no means meant to hurt her or do anything to her. I’m sure she knows that.”

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