Florida man brings loaded gun into airport, tries to conceal it with toilet paper before getting caught: DOJ
FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - JULY 7: Empty escalators are seen at Tampa International Airport which closed from 5:00 p.m. until 10:00 a.m. as Tropical Storm Elsa moves northward toward the Tampa Bay area on July 6, 2021 in Clearwater Beach, Florida, Unit
FLORIDA - A Florida man has pleaded guilty to federal charges after he bought a loaded gun into the Tampa International Airport back in August 2023, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Abraham Othman Yacoub 26, of Lakeland, walked into the Tampa International Airport on August 4, 2023 to board a flight to Las Vegas. He was seen entering the TSA screening line - unloading his backpack, shoes, and other personal items.
When TSA electronically screened Yacoub's items with an X-ray machine, they found a firearm inside his bag.
As officers attempted to find the bag with the gun, Yacoub grabbed the bag off the conveyor belt and walked to the nearest men's bathroom.
Once inside the bathroom, he wrapped the gun in toilet paper and hid it in a trash can, according to the DOJ.
When Yacoub returned to the TSA area, an officer confronted him, and Yacoub claimed he did not bring a gun into the airport.
The airport terminal was evacuated of passengers and multiple flights were delayed as police officers arrived to question Yacoub.
Officers searched the restroom Yacoub was last seen in and found a black gun with 14 rounds of ammunition inside a magazine and loaded into the gun.
Yacoub pleaded guilty to one count of violating airport security requirements and one count of attempted possession of a dangerous weapon on an aircraft.
He faces up to 10 years in federal prison on each count.