Man pleads guilty after allegedly kicking K9 at Dulles International Airport so hard "he was lifted off of the ground"

A man has pleaded guilty to a federal crime after he was accused of assaulting a police K9 at Dulles International Airport, kicking it so hard it went airborne.

According to an affidavit from a federal air marshal, the man, an Egyptian national, kicked the Customs and Border Protection K9 — a 5-year-beagle named Freddy — as it was helping screen luggage Tuesday. It happened at a baggage claim area where EgyptAir Flight 981 luggage was being deposited after arriving at the Washington, D.C.-area airport.

Freddy, who was "trained to find illicit agricultural contraband," was helping with screening in the baggage claim area when he "alerted to a piece of luggage" and tried to inspect it further, the affidavit said. The owner of the luggage, Hamed Aly Marie, came over to the dog and an agent and started talking to the agent, according to the affidavit.

"Shortly after the conversation began, Marie kicked K9 Freddy. K9 Freddy was kicked so hard that he was lifted off of the ground. K9 Freddy was injured and was taken to the veterinary emergency room," the affidavit said.

Freddy's injuries included "contusions to his right forward rib area," Customs and Border Protection said.

Marie's bag was allegedly filled with more than 100 pounds agricultural items prohibited from entering the U.S., including 55 pounds of beef, 44 pounds of rice, 15 pounds of eggplant, cucumbers and bell peppers, two pounds of corn seeds and a pound of herbs, according to a statement from Customs and Border Protection.

Marie, 70, was arrested Wednesday. He pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Virginia to a federal criminal count of malicious assault on a police animal. He was credited with time served and forced to pay the veterinarian fee, CBP said. Court documents indicated the fee amounted to $840. He flew back to Egypt on a flight that left around 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday, according to CBP.