BALTIMORE -- A college student who allegedly hid box cutters and other banned items on four airliners to expose weaknesses in U.S. security was charged with a federal crime Monday, and a prosecutor said he committed a ''very serious and foolish action.''
The banned items were not discovered on two of the planes until a month after Nathaniel Heatwole, 20, had alerted authorities about his scheme via e-mail. He was charged Monday with taking a dangerous weapon aboard an aircraft, then released without bail for a preliminary hearing Nov. 10.
On Sept. 15, federal authorities received an e-mail from Heatwole saying he had ''information regarding six security breaches'' at the Raleigh-Durham and Baltimore-Washington airports between Feb. 7 and Sept. 14, according to an FBI affidavit.
Objects aboard Southwest Airlines planes that landed in New Orleans and Houston were not found until Thursday.
The discovery triggered stepped-up inspections of the entire U.S. commercial air fleet -- roughly 7,000 planes. But after consulting with the FBI, the Transportation Security Administration rescinded the inspection order and no other suspicious bags were found.
According to authorities, Heatwole told federal agents he went through normal security procedures at airports in Baltimore and Raleigh-Durham. Once aboard, he said, he hid the banned items in the planes' rear lavatories.
Heatwole told authorities that he left packages on four of the six planes, according to U.S. Attorney Thomas DiBiagio. Other packages were found April 13 and April 14 in planes in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Tampa, Fla., but it was unclear when they were planted.
The charge against Heatwole, a junior at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., carries up to 10 years in prison.
Defense attorney Charles Leeper told U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan K. Gauvey that it was Heatwole's ''sincere desire to return to college and attend classes.'' Leeper and Heatwole's family would not comment after the hearing.
Gauvey set a number of conditions for Heatwole's release. Among other things, he must not enter any airport or board any airplane.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/terror/cst-nws-air21.html
The banned items were not discovered on two of the planes until a month after Nathaniel Heatwole, 20, had alerted authorities about his scheme via e-mail. He was charged Monday with taking a dangerous weapon aboard an aircraft, then released without bail for a preliminary hearing Nov. 10.
On Sept. 15, federal authorities received an e-mail from Heatwole saying he had ''information regarding six security breaches'' at the Raleigh-Durham and Baltimore-Washington airports between Feb. 7 and Sept. 14, according to an FBI affidavit.
Objects aboard Southwest Airlines planes that landed in New Orleans and Houston were not found until Thursday.
The discovery triggered stepped-up inspections of the entire U.S. commercial air fleet -- roughly 7,000 planes. But after consulting with the FBI, the Transportation Security Administration rescinded the inspection order and no other suspicious bags were found.
According to authorities, Heatwole told federal agents he went through normal security procedures at airports in Baltimore and Raleigh-Durham. Once aboard, he said, he hid the banned items in the planes' rear lavatories.
Heatwole told authorities that he left packages on four of the six planes, according to U.S. Attorney Thomas DiBiagio. Other packages were found April 13 and April 14 in planes in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Tampa, Fla., but it was unclear when they were planted.
The charge against Heatwole, a junior at Guilford College in Greensboro, N.C., carries up to 10 years in prison.
Defense attorney Charles Leeper told U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan K. Gauvey that it was Heatwole's ''sincere desire to return to college and attend classes.'' Leeper and Heatwole's family would not comment after the hearing.
Gauvey set a number of conditions for Heatwole's release. Among other things, he must not enter any airport or board any airplane.
http://www.suntimes.com/output/terror/cst-nws-air21.html
