Covicted Felon Used Fake Driving License to Try To Smuggle Stolen Loaded Gun Onto American Airlines Flight

A convicted felon was busted by the TSA at Norfolk International Airport using a fake driving license to try to smuggle a stolen loaded firearm onto an American Airlines flight.

28-year-old Wayman Tisdale Randall has been sentenced to four years imprisonment following the May 2024 incident after he reached a plea deal with prosecutors and admitted to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to an affidavit filed in court by FBI investigators, Randall arrived at Norfolk Airport at around 8:45 am on May 2, 2024, and proceeded through the initial identification check at the TSA checkpoint without any problems.

As his rucksack went through the x-ray machine, however, a security officer spotted something suspicious in Randall’s bag and he was taken into a private search room for further investigation.

Randall initially handed over a Virginia identification card in the name of Ethan Walker, which matched the name on his American Airlines boarding pass, but after a little digging by law enforcement, it transpired that the ID was completely fictitious.

After being read his Miranda Rights, Randall not only disclosed his real name but also admitted that there was a firearm in his rucksack. The loaded semi-automatic handgun with 17 rounds in the magazine had been legally imported into the United States from Israel but was then reported stolen.

Also in Randall’s possession were two more fake Virginia ID cards in different names, 17 credit cards in various names and a credit card swipe reader.

Following a felony conviction in 2015 for robbery, receiving stolen goods, and having a firearm while committing a felony, Randall was barred from legally possessing a gun.

In the first nine months of 2024, the Transportation Security Administration was intercepting an average of average of 18 firearms at airport security checkpoints every single day.

The vast majority of these firearms were loaded, although, depending on local laws, most passengers were not arrested and didn’t face criminal proceedings.

That, however, does not mean that passengers found with firearms in their hand luggage might avoid any form of sanction. The TSA has the power to hit passengers with a civil penalty of between $3,000 and $10,700.

Repeat offenders face an even bigger penalty of $14,950 and TSA PreCheck holders should expect this privilege to be withdrawn, at least for several years.