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The officers immediately notified Port Authority police, who seized the 9mm handgun and the ammo and took the man into custody on Sunday, Oct. 29, said Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein.
In addition to the criminal charges will be a fine that potentially could reach $15,000 for bringing a weapon to an airport checkpoint, Farbstein said.
SEE: Civil Penalties For Trying To Carry A Gun Aboard A Plane
Makes no difference whether or not you have a concealed carry permit, authorities say.
Claiming you didn’t know the weapon was there doesn’t wash, either. Just makes you look irresponsible.
“There is no excuse for bringing a gun to our checkpoints,” said John Essig, TSA’s federal security director at the Queens airport.
Nearly 100,000 travelers a day pass through security checkpoints at JFK International, the director said.
“It’s busy out there," Essig said, "and when someone brings a prohibited or illegal item such as a firearm to an airport security checkpoint, it slows things down for everyone else."
Not to mention the fact that "a loaded gun at an airport is an accident waiting to happen,” he added.
“The only way to fly with your firearm is to ensure it is unloaded, packed in a hard-sided locked case and taken to the airline check-in counter and declared," Essig said. "The airline will make sure it is transported in the belly of the aircraft so that nobody has access to it during a flight.”
SEE: TSA Guidelines For Properly Traveling With A Firearm
Small arms ammunition (up to .75 caliber and shotgun shells of any gauge) must be packaged in a box made of fiber (such as cardboard), wood, plastic, or metal specifically designed to carry ammunition. That, too, must be declared.
Travelers cannot use firearm magazines or clips for packing ammunition unless they completely enclose the ammunition. Travelers should check with their airline for ammo quantity limits.
SEE: 'I Forgot,' 'I Didn't Know': Guns, Excuses Piling Up At Newark Airport Checkpoints
Nine guns picked off at JFK checkpoints so far in 2023 ties the most in a single year, the TSA said.
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