Man Who Tried To Bring Loaded Gun Onto NJ Plane Sentenced

NEWARK, NJ - A New York man was sentenced this week to over three years in prison for trying to bring a stolen and loaded gun onto an airplane at Newark Liberty International Airport, federal officials said.

Desmond Herring, 48, previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of carrying a weapon on an aircraft, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.

While both charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a 37-month sentence was imposed Thursday in Newark federal court.

The sentence stems from a Nov. 29, 2021 incident in which a suspected firearm was found during a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening of Herring’s luggage, Sellinger said. After the Port Authority Police Department was called, Herring left the security checkpoint area without his bag and walked to a departure gate for his flight to Atlanta, Georgia, Sellinger said.

Herring was later released on $100,000 unsecured bond, with home confinement and GPS monitoring, according to the TSA.

An investigation later revealed that Herring’s bag contained a 9-millimeter pistol, 10 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition loaded into a magazine, and 150 additional rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition.

Herring is prohibited from possessing a firearm after a 2010 federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, according to court documents.

In addition to the prison term, Herring was also sentenced to two years of supervised release.