California man attempts to board plane with explosive, 5 phones and a very ominous text

Wearing a scarf astir his look and bluish latex gloves connected his hands, a 49-year-old antheral already had a suspicious look astir him arsenic helium approached TSA agents astatine Sacramento International Airport connected Saturday night.

But it was the contents of his carry-on container that proved genuinely unnerving.

Inside his backpack, agents recovered a knife, different bladed weapons, zip ties, a butane torch lighter and a homemade explosive device, according to the Department of Justice.

They besides recovered 5 cellphones, each with painter’s portion covering the beforehand camera. Prosecutors said 1 of the phones had a 15-minute timer acceptable to start, portion different displayed an ominous connection from an chartless fig — “we volition beryllium awaiting your call.”

The traveler, identified arsenic Kimani Osayande Jones, was attempting to committee an American Airlines formation to Charlotte, North Carolina, astir 9 p.m. erstwhile the items were discovered, according to the ailment filed against him successful California’s Eastern District Court.

He told officers helium did not cognize the items were successful his container and would beryllium good discarding them. He past invoked his Miranda rights and refused to beryllium interviewed by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office oregon the FBI. He was placed nether apprehension and transported to Sacramento County Jail.

On Tuesday, helium was charged with unlawfully possessing explosive worldly successful an airport. If convicted, helium faces a maximum statutory punishment of 5 years successful situation and a $250,000 fine.

The improvised explosive instrumentality was a 2.5-inch-long brownish cylinder with a 1-inch greenish fuse, according to the complaint. Bomb technicians from the FBI and Sheriff’s Department worked unneurotic to extract it from the bag, spot a weaponry blast suppression instrumentality connected apical and region it from the airport.

The instrumentality was rendered harmless and the fuse and pulverization sent for testing. Both were determined to beryllium “viable and energetic,” according to the complaint.

An FBI weaponry technician determined that if the instrumentality had detonated successful an craft flying supra 10,000 feet, it had the imaginable to harm the plane’s model and origin a imaginable nonaccomplishment of compartment pressure, according to the complaint.

Jones has a past of paranoia and is judge to person made 13 calls to the FBI this twelvemonth reporting that helium was being threatened and intimidated, according to the complaint.

During these calls, helium reported being followed, sabotaged portion helium slept, coerced and having had his beingness threatened by radical who could entree his texts.

He mentioned exercising his Second Amendment rights to support himself against the threats, according to the complaint. He besides said helium needed to person the threats legally documented and sought accusation connected however the threatening parties could entree his location and idiosyncratic information.