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IDemo

(16,926 posts) Thu Dec 15, 2011, 10:19 PM Dec 2011

Tea Party Patriots co-founder arrested for handgun at airport [View all]

By Eric W. Dolan
Thursday, December 15, 2011

Mark Meckler, co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, was arrested Thursday at New York’s LaGuardia Airport and faces up to 15 years in prison for illegally traveling with a handgun.

He presented a locked gun box to a Delta Airlines employee during a preflight check-in, which contained a Glock 27 pistol and nineteen 9mm cartridges, according to prosecutors. Meckler told authorities he had the handgun because he gets threats. But he does not have a New York State carry permit.

Meckler was charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, a Class C felony, and released following arraignment.

“Mark Meckler, an attorney and National Coordinator for Tea Party Patriots, who holds a concealed-carry permit from the state of California, today was charged with a firearms violation at LaGuardia Airport in New York City,” said Meckler’s lawyer, Brian Stapleton, in a statement.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/12/15/tea-party-patriots-co-founder-arrested-for-handgun-at-airport/

50 replies

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Tea Party Patriots co-founder arrested for handgun at airport [View all] IDemo Dec 2011 OP

He obviously mis-spoke AnOhioan Dec 2011 #1

+1 orpupilofnature57 Dec 2011 #2

Not above the law... jaysunb Dec 2011 #3

if convicted of a felony, will also gejohnston Dec 2011 #7

He's an attorney???? Obviously not a very good one! napi21 Dec 2011 #4

This may be part thucythucy Dec 2011 #5

I think you have hit upon it. izquierdista Dec 2011 #6

I think you meant gejohnston Dec 2011 #9

I doubt it gejohnston Dec 2011 #8

He's a bad attorney either way. bluedigger Dec 2011 #21

Yuppers quakerboy Dec 2011 #36

Taking frequent flyer lessons from Mrs. Lou Dobbs, is he? MADem Dec 2011 #10

There was a woman arrested for this a few months ago, petronius Dec 2011 #11

I hope he receives the level of compassion and mercy GaltFreeDiet Dec 2011 #12

read my sig. nt Javaman Dec 2011 #13

Gotta love NYC gun laws. Remmah2 Dec 2011 #14

You're quite mistaken leftynyc Dec 2011 #16

LaGuardia Airport is in NEW YORK CITY Remmah2 Dec 2011 #17

Lived here my whole life leftynyc Dec 2011 #18

I owe you an apology then. Remmah2 Dec 2011 #28

Yeah, but you still have to get government permission.... PavePusher Dec 2011 #40

Under Federal law Lurks Often Dec 2011 #15

I've seen mentions elsewhere that he had actually been staying in New York. Xithras Dec 2011 #19

Not quite Lurks Often Dec 2011 #29

He was staying in NYC, and was attempting to travel to Detroit. boppers Dec 2011 #32

And did you see the last 2 paragraphs Lurks Often Dec 2011 #33

Interesting: boppers Dec 2011 #34

Yeah, he's a dummy, but... bluedigger Dec 2011 #20

Are bags with handguns in them "flagged?" If not, he could have had it in his luggage and yellowcanine Dec 2011 #22

I assumed that they were tracked by the airlines. bluedigger Dec 2011 #23

Given the way airlines normally handle baggage it doesn't seem unreasonable to me that they would yellowcanine Dec 2011 #24

Good way to smuggle guns... bluedigger Dec 2011 #25

I always check. PavePusher Dec 2011 #38

i have melm00se Dec 2011 #41

But normally the claim ticket is not checked against the bag tag when picking up luggage. yellowcanine Dec 2011 #42

bags containing firearms melm00se Dec 2011 #43

I don't propose anything. I was just pointing out that the gun could easily have been taken out of yellowcanine Dec 2011 #49

lol, "anyone check your baggage claim ticket at a baggage carousel? " NOOOOO wordpix Dec 2011 #44

It depends on the airport. Xithras Dec 2011 #26

That's kind of what I thought. bluedigger Dec 2011 #27

I LOATH Baggers...but... SoapBox Dec 2011 #30

Unless he's a resident of NY he doesn't need a permit if only passing through the state. PavePusher Dec 2011 #31

The WSJ article cited upthread says (that he said) he arrived in NY Sunday and petronius Dec 2011 #35

Yeah, I missed that part. Oops. PavePusher Dec 2011 #37

It'll all be better, oooppps orpupilofnature57 Dec 2011 #39

If New York authorities pursue any kind of prosecution against him, their coalition_unwilling Dec 2011 #45

He was not "passing through". Federal law does not cover him. ManiacJoe Dec 2011 #46

Is there any way someone who was is compliance in California coalition_unwilling Dec 2011 #47

Only if NY is not the final destination. PavePusher Dec 2011 #48

Could this be a situation in which many who are preoccupied with 2nd ammendment rights Burgman Dec 2011 #50