Overview
- Federal prosecutors filed a criminal complaint charging 49-year-old Kimani Osayande Jones with unlawfully possessing explosive material after TSA agents discovered an M-type improvised explosive in his carry-on at Sacramento International Airport.
- Bomb technicians from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and an FBI bomb technician removed and tested the device, and officials said its powder and fuse were “viable and energetic” and could have damaged an aircraft window and caused possible loss of cabin pressure at altitude.
- Agents also recovered a torch lighter, a knife, scissors, an aerosol can, zip ties and five cellphones; one phone displayed a 15-minute timer ready to start while another showed a message reading “we will be awaiting your call.”
- The arrest occurred at a TSA checkpoint while Jones prepared to board a flight, with his checked luggage later inspected by canine teams after the plane landed and yielding no concerning items, and Jones has invoked his right to remain silent.
- Jones faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted, and investigators continue laboratory analyses and a probe into his recent contacts with the FBI tip line that prosecutors say may shed light on motive.