TSA: New York Man Caught With Loaded Gun At Hudson Valley Airport
A Hudson Valley man was arrested after he was allegedly caught trying to bring a loaded gun onto his flight.
On Monday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) confirmed TSA officers prevented an Orange County, New York man from carrying a loaded handgun onto a flight at Westchester County Airport.
TSA: Newburgh, New York Man Found With Loaded Gun At Westchester County Airport
A Newburgh man was found with a 9mm handgun which was loaded with seven bullets on Friday, Oct. 28, according to the TSA. The man's name was not released.
“Bringing a loaded handgun to a TSA security checkpoint is a serious matter. Our officers are good at preventing prohibited items and deadly weapons from getting past the checkpoints and people who try to bring a gun onto a flight will face a federal civil penalty,” TSA’s Federal Security Director for Westchester County Airport Robert Duffy said.
Officials did not say why the man tried to bring the loaded gun onto his flight. It was the fourth handgun that TSA officers have stopped at the Westchester County Airport this year.
Loaded Gun Found At Westchester County Airport
A TSA officer spotted the handgun on the checkpoint X-ray machine’s monitor as the man’s belongings entered the X-ray unit. The TSA alerted the Westchester County Police. Police responded to the checkpoint, confiscated the gun and detained the man.
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"The man now faces a federal financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to an airport security checkpoint," the TSA stated in a press release. "Civil penalties for bringing a handgun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. Among the factors TSA considers when determining the civil penalty amount include whether the firearm was loaded and whether there was accessible ammunition."
How To Legally Bring a Gun On A Flight
The TSA reminded travelers how to legally transport a gun on a flight.
"At the airport during the check-in process, a passenger needs to go to the airline ticket counter to declare the firearm, ammunition and any firearm parts," the TSA said. "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 of the plane. Additionally, replica firearms also are prohibited in carry-on baggage and also must be transported in checked luggage."