Port Authority police officers arrested a Pennsylvania man accused of attempting to carry a handgun through a security checkpoint at Newark International Airport.

The suspect, a 30-year-old man who lives in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, allegedly tried to walk through the security checkpoint with a backpack containing a firearm. An agent at the checkpoint reportedly saw that the X-ray machine indicated the presence of a weapon in the suspect’s bag.

When Port Authority cops searched the suspect’s backpack, they allegedly found a .40-caliber Glock 23 semi-automatic pistol. The weapon was allegedly concealed by various carry-on items in the bag.

The suspect was arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a weapon. A conviction for unlawful possession of a handgun could lead to a sentence of up to 10 years in NJ State Prison, in accordance with N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5(b). The criminal statute stipulates that illegal handgun possession is typically classified as a second degree crime.

If the suspect is convicted on the weapons charges, he would also likely be subject to minimum mandatory penalties imposed by the New Jersey Graves Act.

For additional information about this case, view the NJ.com article, “Man Caught with Loaded Gun in Backpack at Newark Airport, Police Say.”