Bergen Co. Traveler Tried To Sneak Machine Gun Onto Plane: Officials

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A Bergen County man stands accused of trying to sneak a machine gun, stun gun and fake U.S. Marshal badge onboard a plane to Florida, authorities said.

Seretse Clouden, 42, was charged after Newark airport security officers found a large supply of weapons and ammunition, and phony law enforcement credentials in his luggage for a Dec. 30 flight, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said.

The Wallington man was headed to Fort Lauderdale when security screened his checked baggage and found two loaded .40 caliber magazines and a body armor vest with the words "Deputy Marshal" on it, the attorney said.

Clouden's "other luggage" held a 5.56 caliber AR-15 rifle (meets definition of a machine gun under the National Firearms Act), the stun gun, a .40 caliber handgun, a .308 caliber rifle, a tactical baton, and a spring-assisted knife, the attorney's office said.

That luggage also contained U.S. Marshal credentials, bearing Clouden’s name and photograph, and a U.S. Marshal badge.

An inquiry with the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed that Clouden has never been employed with the federal agency, the attorney's office said.

“Transportation Security Officers are highly trained and highly skilled professionals at the front line of aviation security and catches such as this illustrate the point," TSA spokesperson R. Carter Langston said, adding the agency would not comment further as this is a criminal complaint.

Clouden was charged with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and fraudulent possession of an identification document and authentication feature of the U.S.

If convicted, Clouden faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He made an initial court appearance Monday and was detained, the attorney said.