A California man was charged Tuesday after authorities said he brought an explosive device and other weapons through a security checkpoint at Sacramento International Airport.
Kimani Osayande Jones, who also uses the last name Jackson, attempted to bring an explosive device, a knife, other bladed weapons, a torch lighter and ties through a TSA security checkpoint on May 30, according to court documents filed Tuesday in the Eastern District of California.
Officials believe Jones, 49, repeatedly called the FBI tip line to report being threatened and intimidated in the months leading up to the incident.
Investigators said the device could have damaged the plane and caused a loss of cabin pressure.
TSA
Officials say Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office bomb technicians safely removed the explosive device and tested the powder and fuse, both of which were determined to be “viable and viable.”
Investigators said the device could have damaged the plane and caused a loss of cabin pressure.
Jones’ other luggage, which had already gone through security and been loaded onto an American Airlines flight to Charlotte, North Carolina, was manually searched and scanned by a canine unit upon arrival, and investigators said nothing “illegal or troubling” was found.
Jones was charged in federal court with illegal possession of explosive materials at an airport. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
“These cases are often more than the government alleges, and the criminal process will reveal Mr. Jones’ story as well,” his attorney, Megan McLoughlin, told CNN in a statement.
Numerous cell phones and frequent FBI tip line calls
The Sacramento resident walked through security on May 30 wearing a face covering and blue latex gloves, court documents say.
When officers found the explosive device and other items in Jones’ carry-on bag, he told them he didn’t know he had the items and said he “wouldn’t have a problem just getting rid of them.” When the authorities informed him that the explosive materials could not be simply disposed of, he denied ownership of the backpack.
Jones also had five cell phones in his possession. The cameras on each phone were covered with painter’s tape, which authorities believe was intended to prevent recording of their surroundings.
One phone had a 15-minute timer ready to start, while another phone had a message from an unknown number on the screen stating “We’ll be waiting for your call,” according to court documents.
A trooper, believed to be Jones, made approximately 13 phone calls to the FBI tip line leading up to the incident, starting in March.
On May 24, the caller reported being followed to and from a doctor’s appointment and described what he said were threats and intimidation by another person.
He said he was “forced to sleep saying certain phrases via digital media,” and described “hearing sounds coming through walls, window panes, or even outside, attributing outside sounds to drones,” court documents say. The call was eventually terminated due to its “irrational nature.”
On the day of the incident, the same caller again called the FBI tip line, claiming that multiple individuals had been threatening him over the past year through “electronic means.” He also cited exercising his Second Amendment rights while denying any intent to harm others.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office also noted that it had prior contact with Jones, “as he had a history of paranoia.”
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