FBI:
Federal Officials: Passenger From Baltimore Washington International Airport Boarded Plane With Firecracker-Like Device
A passenger who flew into LaGuardia Airport on Sunday night was questioned by FBI agents after allegedly boarding the flight with an explosive device in his possession, CBS station WCBS-TV in New York City has learned.
Officials confirmed Monday that a crew member on board Piedmont Airlines flight 4126 was cleaning the plane after it landed in New York around 7:30 p.m. when he found a large firecracker-like device wedged between two seats. Port Authority officials contacted FBI agents, and the passenger from that seat location, identified as 67-year-old Thomas Ouelette, of Bonita Springs, Fla., was tracked down and taken into custody.
Ouelette was planning on taking a connecting flight to Fort Myers, Fla. from New York.
Authorities did not release details on the kind of device discovered other than saying it was a 4-inch-long, three-quarter-inch-wide explosive pyrotechnic.
Federal officials said they did not believe terrorism was involved, but that Ouelette already had two outstanding warrants in Florida for "unlawful flight."
There is no word yet as to whether Ouelette was charged with a crime, however he was issued a summons by the FBI.
