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Lisa Farbstein

Gun Seizures Surge At NYC Airports Gun Seizures Surge At NYC Airports
Gun Seizures Surge At NYC Airports Screeners at New York City airports caught travelers with an average of a gun a week last year, the TSA reported. The 51 handguns seized by Transportation Security Administration officers last year were 30% more than the 39 in 2022, the agency said on Wednesday, Jan. 10. "Each of the firearms were discovered by TSA officers during the routine screening of carry-on property at airport security checkpoints," TSA Spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. Nationwide, TSA officers detected 6,737 firearms at airport security checkpoints in 2023, she said. That's 195 more than the year before. Of last ye…
AIRHEAD: LaGuardia Traveler In Skunky Diaper Makes TSA Top 10 List AIRHEAD: LaGuardia Traveler In Skunky Diaper Makes TSA Top 10 List
Airhead: LaGuardia Traveler In Skunky Diaper Makes TSA Top 10 List A traveler at LaGuardia Airport who stuffed pot into her adult diaper made the Top 10 list of unusual items snagged at TSA security checkpoints nationwide in 2023. There were some doozies in the list released on Tuesday, Jan. 9. They included: A knife found hidden inside a prosthetic leg at Anchorage Airport; Another knife stuffed inside a loaf of keto bread at Seattle-Tacoma Airport; Throwing knives found in a carry-on at Boston-Logan; A bag of meth inside a container of crab boil seasoning powder at -- where else? -- New Orleans Airport. Running just behind the leader -- an inert explos…
Man With Hidden Knife Wrapped To Arm Stopped At Philadelphia Airport: TSA Man With Hidden Knife Wrapped To Arm Stopped At Philadelphia Airport: TSA
Man With Hidden Knife Wrapped To Arm Stopped At Philadelphia Airport: TSA Transportation Security Administration officials said they seized a box cutter that a traveler had secreted in a bandage wrapped around their arm over the weekend at Philadelphia International Airport.  The unidentified traveler was flagged by TSA's screening process and then "self-reported" the utility knife concealed in their wrapped hand, said security officials.  The traveler first told TSA they only "stored" the blade there, then "palmed the blame off on their spouse and insisted the mistake was a joint effort," according to authorities.  View this p…
BUNS & AMMO: LaGuardia TSA Finds Bullets Swaddled In Disposable Diaper BUNS & AMMO: LaGuardia TSA Finds Bullets Swaddled In Disposable Diaper
Buns & Ammo: LaGuardia TSA Finds Bullets Swaddled In Disposable Diaper A traveler blamed his girlfriend after TSA officers at LaGuardia Airport found 17 unwrapped bullets concealed in a baby diaper, authorities said. It gave new meaning to the term "dirty diaper," Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. The disposable diaper was removed from the Arkansas traveler's carry-on bag after it triggered an alarm on the X-ray belt was otherwise clean, Farbstein said. The man said he didn't know how the 9mm ammo ended up there. His girlfriend must have done it he said. That wasn't holding much water with TSA agents, who turned him and…
K9 Calendar Features Airport Bomb Dog Named For Ridgewood, NJ Woman Who Died In 9/11 Attack K9 Calendar Features Airport Bomb Dog Named For Ridgewood, NJ Woman Who Died In 9/11 Attack
K9 Calendar Features Airport Bomb Dog Named For Ridgewood, NJ Woman Who Died In 9/11 Attack A bomb dog named for a Bergen County woman who was among those slain at the World Trade Center in the 9/11 terror attacks is featured in the new 2024 monthly calendar produced by the federal Transportation Security Administration. Gina-Gina is a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois who works with her handler, Julie Guevara, at LaGuardia Airport. She was named after Gina Sztejnberg, 52, of Ridgewood, who worked as a database architect consultant for Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. on the 96th floor of the North Tower. Guevara has a special connection to that fateful day. She was among the New York F…
Gun At JFK Airport: Philly Traveler Busted By TSA With Loaded 9MM Firearm, Two Mags In Carry-On Gun At JFK Airport: Philly Traveler Busted By TSA With Loaded 9MM Firearm, Two Mags In Carry-On
Gun At JFK Airport: Philly Traveler Busted By TSA With Loaded 9MM Firearm, Two Mags In Carry-On A traveler from Philadelphia was arrested at JFK Airport after TSA officers found a loaded gun in his carry-on bag along with two extra magazines holding two dozen bullets, authorities said. The officers immediately notified Port Authority police, who seized the 9mm handgun and the ammo and took the man into custody on Sunday, Oct. 29, said Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein. In addition to the criminal charges will be a fine that potentially could reach $15,000 for bringing a weapon to an airport checkpoint, Farbstein said. SEE: Civil Penalties For Trying T…
'I Forgot': Long Island Man Caught Trying To Board LaGuardia Plane With Gun, TSA Says 'I Forgot': Long Island Man Caught Trying To Board LaGuardia Plane With Gun, TSA Says
'I Forgot': Long Island Man Caught Trying To Board LaGuardia Plane With Gun, TSA Says A Nassau County man was arrested after a security X-ray machine at LaGuardia Airport pointed TSA agents to a gun in his carry-on bag, authorities said. The 9mm caliber handgun was loaded with eight bullets (see photo inset above), said Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration. It was the eighth firearm picked off by TSA officers at the Queens airport so far this year, she said. Port Authority police seized the gun and arrested the Westbury resident, Farbstein said. He told them that he "forgot that he had his gun with him," she said. In addi…
'Staggering': More Than 5,000 Guns Seized At Airports Nationwide So Far This Year, TSA Reports 'Staggering': More Than 5,000 Guns Seized At Airports Nationwide So Far This Year, TSA Reports
'Staggering': More Than 5,000 Guns Seized At Airports Nationwide So Far This Year, TSA Reports A Connecticut man was seized at LaGuardia Airport on Tuesday after TSA screening revealed a loaded .380-caliber handgun in his carry-on bag. Port Authority police confiscated the gun and arrested the Newton, CT man on a weapons charge after the Transportation Security Administration X-ray machine alerted a screener, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said on Oct. 3. “The number of individuals who are stopped with guns at checkpoints across the country is staggering," said Robert Duffy, the TSA’s federal security director for the airport. "Nationwide, TSA officers have already detected more than …
Handgun Seized From Traveler At Newark Airport Increases Record 2023 Total, TSA Says Handgun Seized From Traveler At Newark Airport Increases Record 2023 Total, TSA Says
Handgun Seized From Traveler At Newark Airport Increases Record 2023 Total, TSA Says TSA agents at Newark Airport nabbed a Pennsylvania traveler who they said tried to bring a loaded gun aboard a flight in his backpack. The discovery of the 9mm handgun at a security checkpoint X-ray machine in Terminal C on Saturday, Sept. 16 brought the total number of firearm seizures at Newark Liberty International Airport this year to 18, federal officials said. That's four more than were seized all of last year, they said. The agents summoned Port Authority police, who took the Canadensis (Monroe County), PA man into custody, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said. "We are at a point whe…
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Fort Lee Flier, Newark Airport Employee Caught With Loaded Guns: TSA DOUBLE TROUBLE: Fort Lee Flier, Newark Airport Employee Caught With Loaded Guns: TSA
Double Trouble: Fort Lee Flier, Newark Airport Employee Caught With Loaded Guns: TSA TSA agents picked off two guns in a week's time when they caught both a traveler from Fort Lee and a woman who works in a terminal retail shop packing heat. Both weapons were loaded, said Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein. The man was caught with a .380-caliber handgun in his duffle bag as he tried to board a flight on Friday, Aug. 25, Farbstein said. The shop employee from Newark was caught with a 9mm pistol on her way to work (see photo inset above), she said. Both were taken into custody by Port Authority police, who also seized the weapons. The w…
'Good Catch On Busy Holiday': JFK Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun 'Good Catch On Busy Holiday': JFK Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun
'Good Catch On Busy Holiday': JFK Traveler Nabbed With Loaded Gun A “good catch on a busy holiday” produced the July 4th arrest of a Florida man who tried boarding a flight at Kennedy Airport with a loaded gun, authorities said. TSA officers detected the compact 9mm Smith & Wesson weapon in the man’s carry-on bag as he entered a security checkpoint at JFK, the Transportation Security Administration’s Lisa Farbstein said. The gun was loaded was 10 bullets, she said. Port Authority police seized the gun and arrested the traveler. In addition to criminal charges, he also faces federal penalties that can reach $15,000, authorities said. “We are seeing …
Gun Seized, NJ Man Busted During Busiest Travel Day Ever For Newark And US Airports Gun Seized, NJ Man Busted During Busiest Travel Day Ever For Newark And US Airports
Gun Seized, NJ Man Busted During Busiest Travel Day Ever For Newark And US Airports A Middlesex County man tried bringing a loaded gun aboard a flight at Newark Airport on what was the busiest travel day ever not only there but throughout the United States, authorities said. The Woodbridge resident was arrested and the weapon seized on Friday, July 1, as the July 4th travel weekend shifted into high gear, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said. Criminal charges and a fine that can run as high as $15,000 follow, she said. TSA officers screened 2,884,683 travelers across the country on Friday and locally screened 83,041 passengers at Newark Liberty…
TSA Begins Busy July 4th Holiday Period Seizing Gun From Now-Ex JFK Airport Store Employee TSA Begins Busy July 4th Holiday Period Seizing Gun From Now-Ex JFK Airport Store Employee
TSA Begins Busy July 4th Holiday Period Seizing Gun From Now-Ex JFK Airport Store Employee An employee at a shop in JFK Airport lost his job after TSA agents caught him carrying a loaded gun in his backpack, authorities said. Port Authority police arrested the Queens resident and seized the .45-caliber handgun, Transportation Security Administration Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. He also was forced to surrender his airport security badge, which is required of everyone who works on the secure side of the airport, Farbstein said. Without it, he couldn't continue working at the retail shop,  she said. In addition to his arrest, the man faces a potential fine of up to $15,00…
Gun Found, Vegas Traveler Seized During One Of TSA's Busiest-Ever Screening Days At Newark Gun Found, Vegas Traveler Seized During One Of TSA's Busiest-Ever Screening Days At Newark
Gun Found, Vegas Traveler Seized During One Of TSA's Busiest-Ever Screening Days At Newark A gun turned up at a security checkpoint at Newark Airport during what was the TSA's ninth all-time busiest day screening travelers there, authorities said. The 9mm handgun, which wasn't loaded, was spotted at a checkpoint X-ray machine in Terminal C on Sunday, June 25, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said. The traveler from Las Vegas, who was arrested by Port Authority police, was among 78,333 who were screened at Newark's TSA checkpoints -- and 2.7 million who passed through at airports nationwide, Farbstein said. "Summer travel season is in full swing and ou…
Staten Island Flyer Caught With Loaded Gun At Newark Airport Checkpoint Staten Island Flyer Caught With Loaded Gun At Newark Airport Checkpoint
Staten Island Flyer Caught With Loaded Gun At Newark Airport Checkpoint A Staten Island man was caught trying to bring a loaded gun onto a flight at Newark Airport early Wednesday, authorities said. A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer spotted the .38-caliber revolver – loaded with seven rounds -- as the owner’s belongings passed through the X-ray machine at the Terminal A checkpoint the morning of June 21, the TSA’s Lisa Farbstein said. The man was taken into custody and the gun seized by Port Authority police. The incident came just four days after TSA agents at Newark found a traveler from Philadelphia with a semi-automatic handgun in a ca…
Gun Loaded With 15 Bullets Detected By TSA At Norfolk International Airport Gun Loaded With 15 Bullets Detected By TSA At Norfolk International Airport
Gun Loaded With 15 Bullets Detected By TSA At Norfolk International Airport A Virginia man tried bringing a handgun loaded with 15 bullets onto a flight at Norfolk International Airport over Memorial Day Weekend, authorities said. The Dumfries man's gun was caught as he entered the security checkpoint, TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. The X-ray unit alerted on the carry-on bag, which required a closer inspection. The firearm was removed by the local police. The man also faces a stiff financial civil penalty for bringing a gun to a TSA security checkpoint. The penalty for carrying weapons recently increased to a maximum of $15,000. The case will be forwarded t…
Back-To-Back Guns Seized At Newark Airport From Rockland, Brooklyn Travelers: TSA Back-To-Back Guns Seized At Newark Airport From Rockland, Brooklyn Travelers: TSA
Back-To-Back Guns Seized At Newark Airport From Rockland, Brooklyn Travelers: TSA One day it was a traveler from Rockland -- and before that, one from Brooklyn. Both were armed. The two passengers from New York were each stopped trying to bring loaded 9mm handguns onto flights at Newark Airport on back-to-back days, authorities said. Both now face hefty fines. The incidents at security checkpoints in Terminal B involved a Brooklyn traveler on Wednesday, May 3, and another from Garnerville on Thursday, Transportation Security Administration Spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said. The incidents weren't related, she said. "In each instance when a TSA officer spotted the guns in…
Guess Why Southbound Traveler At Newark Airport Said There Was A Gun In His Bag Guess Why Southbound Traveler At Newark Airport Said There Was A Gun In His Bag
Guess Why Southbound Traveler At Newark Airport Said There Was A Gun In His Bag Another traveler gave what TSA officials say has become a familiar excuse after being arrested trying to bring a loaded gun onto a flight at Newark Liberty International Airport. "I forgot," said the airline customer from Georgia after a TSA agent at one of Newark Airport's checkpoint X-ray machines spotted a .38-caliber handgun in the man's carry-on bag. It was loaded with six bullets, Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said on Friday, April 28. Officers alerted Port Authority police, who arrested the Southern man -- and seized the gun, she said. Farbstein…
'I Forgot': Traveler Nabbed Trying To Tote Loaded Gun, Ammo Onto Flight At LGA, TSA Says 'I Forgot': Traveler Nabbed Trying To Tote Loaded Gun, Ammo Onto Flight At LGA, TSA Says
'I Forgot': Traveler Nabbed Trying To Tote Loaded Gun, Ammo Onto Flight At LGA, TSA Says A traveler was caught trying to board a flight with a loaded gun and 100 boxed bullets in his carry-on at LaGuardia Airport, authorities said. The checkpoint X-ray unit triggered an alarm that led to the discovery on Tuesday, April 25, said Lisa Farbstein, a spokesperson for the Transporation Security Administration. The .22-caliber gun was loaded with 10 rounds and came with two boxes of 50 bullets each, Farbstein said. TSA officers alerted Port Authority police, who seized the traveler, the gun and the ammo, she said. The Brooklyn man told them he'd "taken his bag to a shooting range a…
'Not Mine,' Says Traveler Caught With Gun, Ammo At JFK Airport: TSA 'Not Mine,' Says Traveler Caught With Gun, Ammo At JFK Airport: TSA
'Not Mine,' Says Traveler Caught With Gun, Ammo At JFK Airport: TSA An upstate New York man not only insisted he had "no idea" how a gun and ammunition for it ended up in his carry-on bag at JFK Airport, authorities said. "He also claimed the gun didn't belong to him," TSA Spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. The firearm with a separate box containing five bullets triggered an alarm at a Transportation Security Administration X-ray unit on Wednesday, April 19, Farbstein said. Port Authority police summoned to the checkpoint took the Liberty, NY, man into custody and seized the gun and ammo, she said Thursday. “It is the busy spring travel season," said John…
Cell Phone Or Stun Gun? TSA Officers Bust Trickster Trying To Bring Weapon On BWI Airport Plane Cell Phone Or Stun Gun? TSA Officers Bust Trickster Trying To Bring Weapon On BWI Airport Plane
Cell Phone Or Stun Gun? TSA Officers Bust Trickster Trying To Bring Weapon On BWI Airport Plane A traveler at the Baltimore-Washington International Airport tried to full a fast one on TSA officers, but was busted attempting to bring a weapon onto a plane. This week, eagle-eyed officers at a checkpoint at BWI Airport were able to identify a stun gun that was posing as what appeared to be a smart phone. Look carefully at this cell phone and you'll see it's not actually a phone. It's a stun gun. See the stunning prongs on the end? This was a good catch on the part of our @TSA officers at a @BWI_Airport checkpoint yesterday. No stun guns/tasers are allowed on planes. pic.twitter.com…
Man Tries To Bring Loaded Gun On Flight At Westchester Airport, TSA Says Man Tries To Bring Loaded Gun On Flight At Westchester Airport, TSA Says
Man Tries To Bring Loaded Gun On Flight At Westchester Airport, TSA Says A man faces a weapons charge after attempting to bring a loaded handgun and several magazines on a flight at Westchester County Airport, authorities said.  The incident happened on Sunday, April 2, when a Florida man entered the airport's security checkpoint and the X-ray unit alerted Transportation Security Administration officers to inspect his carry-on bag.  After looking inside the bag, officers found a 9mm handgun loaded with 10 bullets, including one that was in the weapon's chamber. The man's bag also contained two gun magazines packed alongside the firearm that were e…
Man Stopped From Bringing Loaded Gun On Flight At Westchester Airport Man Stopped From Bringing Loaded Gun On Flight At Westchester Airport
Man Stopped From Bringing Loaded Gun On Flight At Westchester Airport A traveler who claimed that he forgot his loaded handgun was in his carry-on bag at Westchester County Airport now faces steep civil penalties.  On Monday, March 6, Transportation Security Administration officers at Westchester County Airport in White Plains stopped a Florida man from bringing a loaded 9mm handgun onto his flight, according to TSA Northeast spokesperson Lisa Farbstein.  The gun, which was loaded with seven bullets including one in the chamber, was caught after the man entered the security checkpoint and an X-ray unit alerted officers to his carry-on…
Samurai Sai Swords Seized By TSA Agents From Bag At BWI Airport Samurai Sai Swords Seized By TSA Agents From Bag At BWI Airport
Samurai Sai Swords Seized By TSA Agents From Bag At BWI Airport TSA agents at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) made a curious find as a would-be traveler attempted to slip through security with a specialty weapon in their bag. Officials say that officials at the airport stopped a traveler over the holiday weekend when agents found martial arts sai swords inside a carry-on bag that is not permitted. The @TSA team at @BWI_Airport stopped a traveler who tried to bring these marital arts sai swords through the checkpoint yesterday. After being told they could not go past the checkpoint, he voluntarily abandoned them wit…
TSA Newark Nabs PA Man Trying To Board Plane With .357 Revolver TSA Newark Nabs PA Man Trying To Board Plane With .357 Revolver
TSA Newark Nabs PA Man Trying To Board Plane With .357 Revolver A Pennsylvania man was arrested at Newark Airport over the weekend with an unloaded .357-caliber revolver in his carry-on, the TSA said. The Bethlehem, PA traveler was nabbed after the weapon was spotted going through an X-ray scanner at a Terminal C security checkpoint on Sunday, Jan. 29, the Transportation Security Administration’s Lisa Farbstein said. Port Authority police took him into custody. Whenever the TSA catches a traveler with a gun at a checkpoint, the entire lane comes to a standstill until the incident is resolved, Farbstein noted. That can delay – and even prevent – others…
Newark Again Leads NYC-Area Airports In Gun Seizures: LGA Up, JFK Down In 2022, TSA Says Newark Again Leads NYC-Area Airports In Gun Seizures: LGA Up, JFK Down In 2022, TSA Says
Newark Again Leads Nyc-area Airports In Gun Seizures: LGA Up, JFK Down In 2022, TSA Says Newark Liberty International Airport last year had the dubious distinction of recording the most gun seizures by TSA officers of any hub in the New York metropolitan area, the agency reported. It also makes the fifth straight year that Newark Airport had more checkpoint gun seizures than its regional counterparts. The 14 firearms discovered at Newark security checkpoints in 2022 tie a recent high from 2018, Transportation Security Administration statistics show. LaGuardia had 11 and JFK had seven. Overall, the 39 handguns stopped at New York City regional airports last year were 50% more…
Peanut Butter Pistol Time: Gun Parts Stashed In Jars Of Jif Jam Up JFK Airport Traveler Peanut Butter Pistol Time: Gun Parts Stashed In Jars Of Jif Jam Up JFK Airport Traveler
Peanut Butter Pistol Time: Gun Parts Stashed In Jars Of Jif Jam Up JFK Airport Traveler A traveler at JFK Airport might've thought he was smooth, but spread the word: Gun parts hidden in jars of peanut butter aren't going to make it past the TSA. A screener found several parts of a disassembled .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun wrapped in plastic and stuffed into two jars of Jif -- both creamy -- at the Queens airport, the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein said. "The gun’s magazine was loaded with bullets," she said. "When the checked bag triggered an alarm in a Terminal 8 X-ray unit, a TSA officer opened the bag and upon closer inspection uncovered the…
Virginia Traveler Tries To Bring Gun Onto Flight At Reagan National Airport: TSA Virginia Traveler Tries To Bring Gun Onto Flight At Reagan National Airport: TSA
Virginia Traveler Tries To Bring Gun Onto Flight At Reagan National Airport: TSA Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers prevented a traveler from carrying a gun onto his flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, authorities said. The Alexandria, VA resident's 9mm caliber handgun was discovered in his carry-on bag at a security checkpoint on Monday, Nov. 28, TSA spokesperson Lisa Farbstein said. It was not loaded. Police were notified, confiscated the weapon, and cited the man. It was the 29th gun picked off at the airport's TSA checkpoint so far this year, Farbstein said. “As we wind down from the busy Thanksgiving travel period, ou…
UPDATE: Tabby Found In Suitcase At JFK Airport Returns Home For Holidays UPDATE: Tabby Found In Suitcase At JFK Airport Returns Home For Holidays
Update: Tabby Found In Suitcase At JFK Airport Returns Home For Holidays A frisky feline who was recently rescued from a checked bag at JFK Airport enjoyed Thanksgiving at home, the TSA reports. Smells snuck into a suitcase on an Orlando-bound pre-holiday flight in what the Transportation Security Administration's Lisa Farbstein jokingly called a bid to pursue "a big mouse he heard was running around Disneyworld." The orange tabby "belonged to someone else" in the Brooklyn household and apparently stowed away when no one was looking, Farbstein said at the time. Kitty owners noted that it was paws-able, given cats' love for warm, secure spaces. We’re lettin…
38 SPECIAL: TSA Agents Nab Female Louisiana Traveler With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia 38 SPECIAL: TSA Agents Nab Female Louisiana Traveler With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia
38 Special: TSA Agents Nab Female Louisiana Traveler With Loaded Gun At LaGuardia A traveler from Louisiana was caught trying to bring a loaded handgun onto a plane at LaGuardia Airport, the TSA said. Transportation Security Administration officers picked off the .38-caliber revolver as it passed through a checkpoint X-ray machine with the woman's belongings on Monday, Nov. 28, the TSA's Lisa Farbstein said. It was loaded with five bullets, she said. The officers seized the gun and summoned Port Authority police, who took her into custody, Farbstein said. Not only was the woman arrested -- she also now faces a stiff federal financial civil penalty that could run into t…
PA Man Caught With Gun At Newark Airport Makes 22 So Far This Year, TSA Says PA Man Caught With Gun At Newark Airport Makes 22 So Far This Year, TSA Says
PA Man Caught With Gun At Newark Airport Makes 22 So Far This Year, TSA Says Thanksgiving brought Newark Airport a near-dubious distinction when authorities seized the 22nd gun of the year at a security checkpoint, authorities said. Transportation Security Administration officers stopped a Delaware County, PA man with a 9mm handgun loaded with 13 bullets -- including one in the chamber -- in his carry-on bag in Terminal C, the agency's Lisa Farbstein said. The Newtown Square, PA resident was the third traveler nabbed with a gun at Newark just this month, Farbstein said. The 22 overall for the year ties the record for the most in a month there with five weeks left i…