Man packs machine gun, a fake marshal badge and bulletproof vest in luggage, feds say
A New Jersey man is accused of bringing a machine gun, ammunition and a bulletproof vest with fake U.S. Marshal credentials to an airport in his checked luggage, federal authorities said.
The man, a 42-year-old from Wallington, New Jersey, brought his checked luggage to Newark Liberty International Airport on Dec. 30, intending to get on a flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, according to a release from the Department of Justice on Feb. 27.
During the routine screening of checked luggage, agents with the Transportation Security Administration found two handgun magazines that each contained 15 rounds of ammunition and a bulletproof vest that said “Deputy Marshal,” officials said.
They learned the bag belonged to the man and began to search his other checked bag.
Inside, they found an expandable baton, a spring loaded knife, a taser, a Glock 22 handgun, a DPMS Panther Arms rifle and a 5.56 caliber AR-15 rifle that is classified as a machine gun, according to the release.
Authorities said along with the weapons, TSA agents found fake paperwork and a badge with the man’s name and photograph and said he was a United States Marshal.
TSA confirmed with the U.S. Marshal Service that he was not and never had been a U.S. Marshal, and the credentials were fake.
The man was charged with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and fraudulent possession of an identification document and authentication feature of the United States, authorities said.
The combined charges could result in 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 2:53 PM with the headline "Man packs machine gun, a fake marshal badge and bulletproof vest in luggage, feds say."
