Monday, April 20, 2009

Justin Reed, 22, a Corporal in the United States Marine Corps, has been arrested at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts after security personnel found a gun along with bomb-making material inside his checked-in luggage.

According to Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Reed had traveled on a flight from Las Vegas, Nevada and was on a layover before he continued on to Charlotte, North Carolina. The discovery was made after his luggage was mistakenly routed to the baggage claim instead of his plane to N.C.

Inside his checked-in luggage, authorities found a semi-automatic handgun, a loaded magazine with extra ammunition, a hand grenade fuse assembly, bomb-making materials which included military fuses, electronic boxes and switches, and model rocket engines. The TSA says that passengers are allowed to have a firearm in their checked baggage, so long as it is declared at the gate before checking it in, which Reed failed to do.

Reed was arrested for possession of an infernal machine and possession of a concealed weapon in a secure area of an airport, says the Boston Globe. He is being held on US$50,000 bail and will be in court on Tuesday. It is not yet known why Reed was in possession of the items and an investigation is ongoing.

Reed is stationed at Camp Lejeune, located in N.C..