Forum: Civil and General Aviation

LOS ANGELES — Two people who claimed to be taking a handcuffed prisoner to Hawaii for a court hearing were arrested at Los Angeles International Airport after one was found to be carrying a gun without a permit, authorities said.

A man and woman were arrested for investigation of impersonating police officers after they entered a security screening area at Terminal Three on Friday morning, Los Angeles Airport Police spokeswoman Belinda Nettles said Saturday.

The couple, who were wearing plainclothes, claimed to be law enforcement officers. The woman said she was carrying a firearm, and both claimed they had written documents indicating they were authorized to carry firearms, Nettles said.

Airport police ran a check and found that neither was a police officer, and the woman did not have a permit to carry a gun, Nettles said.
The gun was seized and the pair were taken into custody. Officials did not immediately release their names.

The "prisoner" also was taken into custody, Nettles said but she did not have additional details.

The FBI said it was assisting local authorities in their investigation.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,259403,00.html

Pair could face federal charges after LAX arrest, FBI says


LOS ANGELES A pair of private security officers arrested at Los Angeles International Airport while taking a handcuffed man to Hawaii could face federal charges.

That's according to the F-B-I today..

Agency spokeswoman Laura Eimiller says the F-B-I is talking with the U-S attorney's office and is seeking possible federal charges against the pair for attempting to board a plane with a weapon while representing themselves as law enforcement officers.

She said the two appearantely work for a company that contracts with Hawaii to transport the state's prisoners.

She declined to identify the company.

Jane Robison is a spokeswoman with the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

She says 53-year-old Gary D. Garratt and 48-year-old Rosemary Sanchez were arrested on Friday morning at L-A-X for investigation of impersonating peace officers.

No state charges have been filed.

Their prisoner's identity, his location and other details could not be immediately determined.

Pair held at L.A. airport had isle inmate, FBI says
State and FBI disagree on couple being held at the L.A. airport
By Nelson Daranciang

Los Angeles police arrested two people who were taking a handcuffed person aboard a flight to Hawaii on Friday, but it was not until yesterday that the FBI released some details.

The two people were apparently working for a private security company that had a contract with the Hawaii government to transport prisoners, the FBI said.

However, the state does not contract with a private security company for prisoner transport, said James Propotnick, deputy public safety director for law enforcement.

The person in handcuffs apparently is still in custody because the FBI says he is awaiting transport.

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Two people arrested at Los Angeles International Airport while trying to take a handcuffed man on a flight to Hawaii were private security officers for a company that apparently has a contract with the state to transport prisoners, said Laura Eimiller, FBI spokeswoman.

But James Propotnick, state Department of Public Safety deputy director for law enforcement, said the state does not use private security to transport prisoners.

Eimiller said the man in handcuffs is a prisoner still awaiting transport to Hawaii, but declined to identify him. She confirmed the FBI in Los Angeles is investigating the case.

"The FBI is in consultation with the U.S. Attorney's Office for possible federal charges," Eimiller said.

She suggested the suspects might not have gotten into trouble had they not tried to carry a firearm on board and claimed to be law enforcement officers.

There are specific steps a law enforcement officer needs to follow in order to carry a weapon on board a commercial airline, said Nico Menendez, Transportation Security Administration spokesman. The TSA also has guidelines for private security officers transporting prisoners, but Menendez declined to say what they are.

Los Angeles Airport Police officers arrested Rosemary Sanchez, 48, of Riverside, Calif., and Gary D. Garratt, 53, of Fresno, Calif., on Friday, according to inmate information records with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The woman was arrested for carrying a concealed firearm and impersonating a peace officer, while the man was arrested for impersonating a peace officer, said Belinda Nettles, LAAPD spokeswoman.

Sanchez and Garratt were released from custody Saturday after they each posted $35,000 bail. Neither has been charged with any crimes.

The suspects entered the TSA screening area on Friday claiming to have peace officer authority to transport a prisoner out of state, Nettles said. The woman also said she was carrying a firearm, and produced documentation that suggested they were authorized to carry firearms onto an aircraft, police said.

Airport police conducted a credential verification check and determined the woman was not a police officer and did not have a permit to carry a firearm, Nettles said.