by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:20 PM ET, Tue February 28, 2023
The United States Department of Justice announced federal charges for a New Jersey man who allegedly attempted to bring several guns and other illegal items onto a domestic flight in December.
According to the Justice Department's official website, 42-year-old Seretse Clouden of Bergen County, New Jersey, went through a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at Newark Liberty International Airport when the items were discovered.
As Clouden went through security before his scheduled flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, TSA agents found two .40 caliber Glock magazines and a ballistic vest with the words "Deputy Marshal" on it.
When officers investigated Clouden's checked baggage, they discovered a .40 caliber Glock 22 handgun, a .308 caliber DPMS Panther Arms rifle and a 5.56 caliber AR-15 rifle. In addition, agents found an expandable baton, a spring-loaded knife and a taser.
"It's absolutely not acceptable for firearms to be anywhere near checkpoints," TSA spokesperson R. Carter Langston told CBS News. "There is a legally permissible way to bring firearms in checked baggage, but you have to be legally able to carry a firearm in your jurisdiction, declare it with the airline and pack it properly in a hard-sided and locked case."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that Clouden also had forged identification documents, including U.S. Marshal credentials and a U.S. Marshal badge.
Clouden has been charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of fraudulent possession of an identification document and authentication feature of the U.S., according to the Justice Department.
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