A Pennsylvania man was caught at an airport trying to sneak a bomb onto a flight to Florida inside his luggage this week, officials said.
Mark Muffley, 40, was due to board an Orlando-bound Allegiant Air flight at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania on Monday when the explosive device was found in his checked bag, WPVI-TV reported Wednesday.
The small device set off an alarm as it was being screened by the TSA, according to the complaint against Muffley.
When agents searched the bag, they found inside the lining a device about 3 inches in diameter. It was filled with a powder and had two fuses covered with wax paper and plastic wrap.
Muffley was paged over the airport’s public address system, prompting him to flee. He was eventually arrested at his home later that night, WPVI said.
According to a criminal complaint, “the powder” found in the small bomb is suspected to be a mixture of flash powder and the dark granular that is used in commercial-grade fireworks.
“The baggage also contained a can of butane, a lighter, a pipe with white powder residue, a wireless drill with cordless batteries, and two GFCI outlets taped together with black tape,” the complaint said.
A spokesman for the airport told the outlet that the device was found shortly after 11 a.m. Monday on the west side of the main terminal, which was then shut down.
The device was removed and the terminal reopened around 2 p.m.
Muffley was being held in FBI custody Wednesday on charges including possession of an explosive in an airport and attempting to place an explosive on an aircraft.