Disassembled Gun Found In Lego Box, Boot At Newark Airport: TSA

NEWARK, NJ — They were “artfully concealed” in a boot and a Lego box, authorities say.

That’s the report from Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers at Newark Airport, who found gun parts inside a carry-on bag at a security checkpoint on Wednesday.

According to the TSA, one of its officers detected the disassembled 9mm handgun inside a Mississippi man’s duffle bag as it went through a checkpoint x-ray machine at Terminal A. The gun frame was jammed in the bottom of a boot below a sock that had been stuffed behind it – apparently to help conceal it.

The gun’s slide, spring and gun magazine – which was loaded with 12 bullets – were found mixed among the plastic pieces of a Lego set, authorities said.

Port Authority police were alerted, confiscated the items and arrested the man, who was ticketed to fly to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

“This is an example of someone who was intentionally attempting to carry a gun onto a flight,” alleged Thomas Carter, TSA’s federal security director for New Jersey.

“He kept changing his story, first telling us that it was a toy gun and then claiming that it belonged to his brother,” Carter said. “Regardless of his claims, what I can tell you is that it was a fully disassembled firearm that he could easily have assembled and used on a plane.”

In addition to criminal charges from the police, the traveler also faces a potential federal financial civil penalty that is likely to set him back “several thousands of dollars,” Carter said.

TRAVELING WITH GUNS

According to the TSA, guns can be transported on a flight if they are unloaded, packed in a locked, hard-sided case and declared to the airline. The airline will be sure that the gun travels with checked baggage in the belly of the plane – never in the cabin.

The federal penalty for bringing a weapon to a TSA checkpoint can cost as much as $15,000, depending on the circumstances. The TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to travelers who have guns and firearm parts with them at a checkpoint. This applies to people with or without concealed gun carry permits because even though a gun owner may have a concealed carry permit, it does not allow for a firearm to be carried onto an airplane.

The complete list of civil penalties is posted online.

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