PHILADELPHIA — A Dauphin County man was cited by law enforcement Sunday after allegedly attempting to carry an antique handgun onto a plane at Philadelphia International Airport.
The Middletown man was stopped at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint when agents detected the antique revolver among the man's carry-on items, the TSA said Monday in a press release.
The old revolver was sitting among some clothing and was not loaded, the TSA said.
When TSA officers detected the handgun, the man told officials that he received the antique pistol as a gift from his father.
“This individual learned a hard lesson about the proper way to transport a firearm for a flight,” said Gerardo Spero, TSA’s Federal Security Director for the airport. “You just don’t toss a firearm into a carry-on bag along with your clothes, even if it is unloaded.
"Now, in addition to being charged with a criminal citation by the police, the man also faces a stiff financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to a TSA security checkpoint.”
The penalty for carrying weapons can reach as high as $15,000, depending on the circumstances, according to the TSA.
TSA said it has details on how to travel with a firearm and ammunition posted on its website. Firearm possession laws vary by state and locality and passengers should do their homework to make sure that they are not violating any local firearm laws.
Travelers should also contact their airline as they may have additional requirements for traveling with firearms and ammunition, the TSA said.
Bringing a gun to an airport checkpoint carries a federal civil penalty because the TSA reserves the right to issue a civil penalty to individuals who have guns and gun parts with them at a checkpoint.
Civil penalties for bringing a gun into a checkpoint can stretch into thousands of dollars, depending on mitigating circumstances. This applies to individuals with or without concealed gun carry permits because a concealed carry permit does not allow a firearm to be carried through a checkpoint.
The complete list of civil penalties is posted online.
