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Thomas Brienza, age 20, of Centereach, was arrested on Saturday, Aug. 24, in North Charleston, South Carolina, The Post and Courier in Charleston reported. He faces charges of threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction for an act of terrorism, according to court filings.
In the video, Brienza approaches an officer at the airport and says he "doesn't want any trouble" before claiming to have a "bomb and a strap" (a nickname for a gun) in his car in the parking lot, the paper said. He also claimed there was fentanyl inside the vehicle.
None of that was true.
Brienza filmed the crime using a hidden camera in a pair of glasses. That video was not uploaded to his social media pages because police confiscated it.
He would later tell investigators that he did not understand the severity of his actions. However, that will likely not help him, as pleading "It's just a prank, bro" is not an affirmative defense in court.
Brienza was at the airport with others to pick up a buddy. His friends who rode with him told police they did not know he planned to do this, The State newspaper said.
Brienza's TikTok account "@ThomTheTroll" has more than 300,000 followers. It's filled with the kind of videos expected of someone who self-identifies as a "troll."
His "comedy" content consists of him harassing customer service workers, videos of him approaching law enforcement officers to claim he already has or plans to commit a crime, and bothering unhoused people on the street.
A judge ordered Brienza held on a $100,000 bond, court records show. He uploaded a video after being released from jail that said, "Life is beautiful don't take it for granted." Brienza also quoted the Bible's Jeremiah 29:11, which says God has a plan for our prosperity.
If convicted, Brienza faces years in prison, according to federal sentencing guidelines. He could also likely be added to the "no-fly" list, the Post And Courier said.
A call to a phone number connected to Brienza was not immediately returned.
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