Overview
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped Matthew Thomas Cooley, 41, at a departure gate at Philadelphia International Airport as he tried to board a one‑way flight to Frankfurt, and arrested him before he could depart.
- Somerset County charged Cooley with two counts of gross sexual assault, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, domestic violence stalking, two counts of assault on an officer, and refusing to submit to arrest.
- CBP officers verified an active extradition warrant with the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office and turned Cooley over to Tinicum Township Police Department to begin the extradition process to Maine.
- Officials say Cooley was first arrested at his home in April and allegedly pepper‑sprayed officers during that arrest; authorities have not released a full timeline for extradition or complete details about alleged officer assaults tied to the case.
- The arrest illustrates CBP’s routine practice of comparing international passenger lists to law‑enforcement databases such as the NCIC to find wanted persons and help law enforcement prevent international flight departures.