By Maryclaire Dale —
The Associated Press
The man arrested this week on suspicion of trying to smuggle a bomb on a plane admitted that he packed explosive materials, fuses and a lighter in the suitcase he checked in at the Lehigh Valley airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and escaped because he feared arrest. as reported by federal authorities in a judicial document presented this Thursday.
Marc Muffley, 40, a resident of Lansford, called his girlfriend to pick him up in a car when he heard someone calling him over the public address system at the airport, and then changed his phone number to avoid being located, according to the Prosecutor's Office.
"The danger it created...is just staggering
," prosecutor Sherri A. Stephan said at a court hearing on Thursday, asking the judge to deny bail.
“The fact that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was able to immediately locate this device and prevent it from being placed on an aircraft is commendable,” she added.
Marc Muffley, arrested Monday, February 27, 2023. FBI via AP
Muffley's lawyer said
he just wanted to set off fireworks at a Florida beach
where his flight was headed, and where he said the former construction worker sometimes cares for a sick grandfather.
The judge, Pamela A. Carlos, agreed to keep him in custody without bail, considering that Muffley is a danger to the community and there is a risk of flight.
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The authorities claimed that the fact that the explosive powder was packed in the same checked suitcase with the other items increased the risk of explosion.
“The luggage also contained a
butane canister, a lighter,
a pipe with white powder residue suspected to be
methamphetamine,
a cordless drill with cordless batteries, and two GFCI plugs held together with black duct tape,” prosecutors said in an arrest memo. presented on Thursday.
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“His actions seriously endangered the lives of airport workers and users and, if the explosive had not been intercepted, that of the flight passengers and the aircraft,” they added.
Muffley is charged with possessing an explosive at an airport and with possessing or attempting to plant an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft, according to a criminal complaint.
His attorney, Jonathan McDonald, argued that the items were not "arsonous" and therefore did not qualify for the second count.
Muffley attended the hearing, which was held via video link, from jail, but did not speak.
“No one has come up with a conceivable theory of how that thing could explode.
That was not going to happen inside a bag,” McDonald said.
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Muffley was arrested at his home Monday night, hours after checking in for an Allegiant Air flight at the Lehigh Valley airport.
The flight was bound for Orlando.
His record includes arrests for crimes such as drug possession, robbery and driving under the influence of alcohol, which have landed him in jail on several occasions.
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Authorities said the suitcase contained a three-inch "circular compound" wrapped in paper and plastic wrap that they believe contained a mixture of flash powder and other materials used to make commercial fireworks.
There was a "quick wick" similar to a candle wick, which appeared to be part of the original manufacture of the compound, as well as a slow-burning "hobbyist wick" which appeared to have been added later.
Authorities believe the materials could ignite from heat and friction, and posed a significant risk to the plane.