Man allegedly had explosive device in his carry-on bag at California airport: TSA
A man was arrested and faces a federal charge after an explosive device was allegedly found in his carry-on bag at a California airport, federal authorities said.
Kimani Osayande Jones, 49, was detained at the Sacramento International Airport on Saturday after attempting to go through a security checkpoint, according to the Transportation Security Administration.
Jones was "wearing a scarf covering his face and latex gloves on his hands" at the time, TSA said in a press release on Wednesday.
In his carry-on bag, he had an M-type explosive device -- meaning an improvised explosive -- and a "torch lighter capable of lighting the explosive," TSA said.
His carry-on bag also contained a knife, scissors, scissor blades, an aerosol can and zip ties, according to an affidavit in support of the complaint.
He was traveling with five cellphones, one of which had a 15-minute timer ready to start and another with a message from an unidentified number on the screen stating, "we will be awaiting your call," according to the affidavit.
Bomb technicians safely removed the device, and upon further examination, its powder and fuse were found to be "viable and energetic," TSA said. If it had detonated mid-air near a window on a plane, the device had the "potential to damage the aircraft and cause a possible loss of cabin pressure," the agency said.
Jones, of Sacramento, has been federally charged with unlawful possession of explosive material at an airport. If convicted, he faces five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
He is being held without bail at the Sacramento County Jail on a federal hold, online jail records show. Online court records do not list any future court dates or any attorney information for him.
Jones' luggage was also screened at the airport prior to being loaded onto an American Airlines flight headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, and did not trigger anything suspicious, according to the affidavit. Upon arrival in Charlotte, a search of his bag and an inspection of all luggage from the plane using specialized canines found nothing concerning, it said.
According to the affidavit, local authorities had prior contact with Jones, who "had a history of being paranoid." A man believed to be Jones had previously reached out to the FBI tip line 13 times this year, including the day of his arrest, to report that he was being threatened and intimidated, according to the filing.
