Antique Revolver Found In Bag At Philly International Airport: TSA

PHILADELPHIA — An antique revolver was caught in a traveler's luggage Sunday at the Philadelphia International Airport, the Transportation Security Administration said.

Authorities said a Middletown man was cited by police at the airport after TSA officers detected an antique revolver among the man’s carry-on items at one of the airport security checkpoints.

The revolver was not loaded and sitting among clothing, officials said.

The man told authorities he got the revolver as a gift from his father.

Penalties for carrying weapons can reach as high as $15,000, depending on the circumstances, TSA said.

"This individual learned a hard lesson about the proper way to transport a firearm for a flight," Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport, said. "You just don’t toss a firearm into a carry-on bag along with your clothes, even if it is unloaded. Now, in addition to being charged with a criminal citation by the police, the man also faces a stiff financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to a TSA security checkpoint."

As of Sunday, 15 firearms have been caught by TSA at the Philadelphia International Aiport this year.