A man is accused of attempting to bring fraudulent law enforcement credentials, firearms, ammunition and a bulletproof vest on a flight from New Jersey to Florida.
During a routine screening of checked luggage, U.S. Attorney Phillip Sellinger said agents found ammunition and a ballistic vest with the words "Deputy Marshal" on it.
Sellinger said the discovery led agents to search other luggage belonging to Seretse Clouden.
Agents found rifles, handguns, a taser and a spring-loaded knife, according to Sellinger. The luggage also reportedly contained “United States Marshal” credentials with Clouden’s name and photograph.
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Sellinger said the U.S. Marshals Service was contacted and confirmed that Clouden is not, and was not, an employee with the agency.
The Department of Justice said in a court filing that Clouden was convicted in 2016 of unlawful possession of a weapon.
Clouden faces a maximum of 15 years in prison on the latest firearms and ammunition charges and another five years for allegedly being in possession of fraudulent identification documents.
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Passengers are allowed to travel with unloaded firearms, but they must be packed in checked baggage."The case with the firearm should be brought to the airline check-in counter to be declared with the airline representative," the TSA states.
