PHILADELPHIA — A Pennsylvania guy admitted packing explosive fabrics, fuses and a lighter in a suitcase he checked for a advertisement flight to Florida and fled the Lehigh Valley airport when he feared arrest, federal government mentioned in a court docket record filed Thursday.
Marc Muffley, 40, of Lansford, referred to as his female friend for a experience when he heard his title being paged on the airport, and shortly switched his telephone quantity to keep away from being tracked, prosecutors mentioned.
“The danger he created … is simply astonishing,” Assistant United States Attorney Sherri A. Stephan mentioned at a Thursday court docket listening to, when she requested a pass judgement on to deny bail. “The fact TSA (the Transportation Security Administration) was able to immediately locate this device and prevent it from being placed on an airplane is to their credit.”
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/TI3UGJ76GPCKXB2PX3UZ6MP4OM.jpg "The FBI says this photo shows Marc Muffley, 40, with two suitcases at the Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania on Monday.")
A protection attorney instructed that Muffley best sought after to prompt fireworks on a Florida seashore, the place he mentioned the one-time development employee every so often cares for an unwell grandfather.
However, U.S. Magistrate Pamela A. Carlos agreed to detain him with out bail, discovering that Muffley used to be each a flight possibility and a risk to the group.
Authorities mentioned the reality the explosive powder used to be packed in the similar checked bag with the opposite pieces higher the chance of an explosion.
“The baggage also contained a can of butane, a lighter, a pipe with white powder residue suspected to be methamphetamine, a wireless drill with cordless batteries, and two GFCI outlets taped together with black tape,” prosecutors wrote in a detention memorandum filed Thursday.
“His actions seriously jeopardized the lives of airport workers and patrons, and if the explosive had not been intercepted, the flight’s passengers and the aircraft,” the memo mentioned.
Muffley is charged with possessing an explosive in an airport and possessing or making an attempt to position an explosive or incendiary instrument on an plane, in accordance to a prison criticism.
The protection attorney, Jonathan McDonald, argued that the pieces weren’t “incendiary” and subsequently didn’t meet the necessities of the second one price. Muffley attended the listening to, which used to be held by way of videoconference, from prison however didn’t discuss.
“No one has posited one conceivable theory on how this thing could have gone off. That was not going to happen inside of a bag,” McDonald mentioned.
However, Carlos discovered possible purpose to uphold each fees.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/DDKVSQ63Q52NCYIPU6DRODNXHY.jpg "This airport surveillance camera image released in an FBI affidavit shows Marc Muffley at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pa., on Monday.")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/TEKTX22OY5DSDHLSNFMIYJZLAE.jpg "Looking for real-time news alerts?")
Looking for real-time news signals?
Subscribe to our unfastened Breaking News e-newsletter
You’ll obtain updates on primary problems and occasions in Tampa Bay and past as they occur.
You’re all signed up!
Want extra of our unfastened, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get began.
Explore all of your choices
Muffley used to be arrested at his house Monday night time, hours after he had checked in for the Allegiant Air flight on the Lehigh Valley International Airport. The flight used to be sure for Orlando.
His document contains misdemeanor arrests for drug ownership, robbery and using underneath the affect, which led to a couple of prison stints, the memo mentioned. His female friend advised government he feared being arrested on the airport on an impressive kid strengthen warrant, government mentioned.
They have mentioned they discovered a three-inch “circular compound” wrapped in paper and plastic wrap that they imagine contained a mixture of flash powder and different fabrics used to make commercial-grade fireworks.
Attached to it used to be a “quick fuse” identical to a candle wick — it appears a part of the unique manufacture of the compound — in addition to a slow-burning “hobby fuse” that gave the impression to were added later, they mentioned.
Officials imagine the fabrics may well be ignited by means of warmth and friction, and posed a vital possibility to the aircraft and its occupants, in accordance to the prison criticism.
By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press.
Follow AP Legal Affairs Writer Maryclaire Dale at https://twitter.com/Maryclairedale