"Airport screener seized for brass knuckles"

Tuesday, March 1, 2005

Airport screener seized for brass knuckles
The Newark (NJ) Star Ledger


An off-duty security screener at Newark International Airport was arrested
Sunday night when he tried to pass a set of brass knuckles through an
airport X-ray machine, authorities said yesterday. 

Darren Castro, 22, of Jersey City, was arrested by Port Authority police
after he attempted to take the prohibited item through the checkpoint at
Terminal C, said Lou Martinez, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New
York and New Jersey, which operates the airport. 
 
Authorities said Castro was escorting a friend to a gate when the incident
occurred at about 9 p.m. 

One official familiar with the incident said Castro placed the brass
knuckles into a holder normally used for keys and loose change that was sent
through an X-ray machine. An on-duty screener spotted the brass knuckles and
called police, the official said. 

A TSA spokeswoman said Castro was suspended without pay pending a review of
the incident. 

Possession of brass knuckles is a fourth-degree crime in New Jersey,
punishable by a fine and up to 18 months in jail.


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