Attempt To Sneak Handgun, Ammo Onto Atlanta-Bound Flight Lands Georgia Man On House Arrest

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — A Sandy Springs man faces federal charges for allegedly trying to sneak a loaded handgun through airport security in Newark, NJ, then ditching it when he was caught.

A federal complaint charged 48-year-old Desmond Herring with one count of carrying a weapon on an aircraft and one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, prosecutors said.

According to court records, Herring placed a carry-on bag on the security X-ray screening machine at Newark Liberty International Airport on Nov. 29. A TSA agent identified ammunition and what was believed to be a handgun in the bag, and contacted the Port Authority Police Department, authorities said.

When he saw TSA and police inspecting his bag, Herring abandoned it and left the security checkpoint area, and headed to the departure gate for his flight to Atlanta, prosecutors said.

Police found a 9 mm pistol, 10 rounds of 9 mm bullets loaded into a magazine, and three boxes of 9 mm ammunition with 50 rounds each, according to court records. A 2010 federal felony drug conviction meant that it was illegal for Herring to own a firearm, authorities said.

Herring faces up to 10 years in prison for each charge, prosecutors said.

He appeared Tuesday afternoon before a U.S. magistrate judge in Newark federal court and was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond to home arrest with an ankle monitor, authorities said.