TSA finds explosive at Pennsylvania airport

Marc Muffley, 40, admitted to packing explosive materials in his checked bag, according to a court document filed Thursday. Muffley was booked on a Monday Allegiant Air flight from Pennsylvania to Florida, according to a complaint filed by the FBI. Muffley was arrested later on Monday at his home in Lansford, Penn., and charged with federal crimes. A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer found the device after it pinged a sensor, according to a TSA statement. TSA officials evacuated the immediate area of the airport out of an “abundance of caution” and contacted the FBI, according to the release. 

What did the explosive look like? TSA officials found a “circular compound” about three inches wide, made of commercial-grade fireworks powder and flash powder, according to the FBI complaint. It was wrapped in wax-like paper and plastic wrap with two fuses attached. The device could have been lit with heat and friction, the complaint said, and posed a serious risk to the aircraft and passengers. The suitcase also contained a can of butane, a lighter, a pipe with white powder residue, a wireless drill with batteries, and two electrical outlets taped together. 

Dig deeper: Read Elias Ferenczy’s report in The Sift about how weapons in airports are at a record high, according to the TSA.