A resident of California faces charges following allegations of attempting to transport an explosive device and other weapons through Sacramento International Airport’s security checkpoint, as announced on Tuesday.
Court filings from the Eastern District of California reveal that Kimani Osayande Jones, who also goes by the surname Jackson, tried to pass through the TSA checkpoint on May 30 with several prohibited items. These included an improvised explosive device, a knife, other sharp weapons, a torch lighter, and zip ties.
Authorities noted that Jones, aged 49, had been in frequent contact with the FBI tip line, claiming he was subject to threats and harassment in the months leading to the incident.
The explosive device was safely dismantled by bomb experts from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, who confirmed that its components were functional and capable of detonation.
Experts suggested the device could have compromised an aircraft’s structure, potentially leading to a loss of cabin pressure.
Additional luggage belonging to Jones had already passed through airport security and was loaded onto an American Airlines flight headed to Charlotte, North Carolina. Upon inspection with canine units upon the flight’s arrival, no illegal or suspicious items were detected, according to investigators.
Jones has been charged in federal court with unlawful possession of explosive material at an airport. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted.
His attorney, Meghan McLoughlin, told CNN in a statement: “There is often more to these cases than the government’s allegations, and that the criminal process will reveal Mr. Jones’ story as well.”
Multiple cell phones and repeated FBI tip line calls
The Sacramento resident went through security on May 30 wearing a face covering and blue latex gloves, court documents say.
When officers found the explosive device and other items in Jones’ carry-on bag, he told them he was unaware the items were in his possession and said “he would be okay with just discarding them.” When authorities informed him that explosive material could not simply be thrown away, he denied ownership of the backpack.
Jones also had five mobile phones in his possession. The cameras on each phone had been covered with painter’s tape, which authorities believe was intended to prevent his surroundings from being recorded.
One phone contained a 15-minute timer ready to start and another had a message from an unknown number on the screen stating, “we will be awaiting your call,” according to court documents.
An individual police believe to be Jones made approximately 13 calls to the FBI tip line leading up to the incident, beginning in March.
On May 24, the caller reported being followed to and from a doctor’s appointment and described what he said were threats and intimidation by another individual.
He said he was “being coerced in sleep to say certain phrases through digital media” and described “hearing sounds coming through walls, window panes, or even outside, attributing the outside sounds to drones,” court documents say. The call was ultimately terminated because of its “nonsensical nature.”
On the day of the incident, the same caller again contacted the FBI tip line, alleging that several individuals were threatening him throughout the past year through “cyber means.” He also referenced exercising his Second Amendment rights while denying any intention to harm others.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office also noted it had prior contact with Jones, “wherein he had a history of being paranoid.”
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