CHARGES FILED AGAINST COLLEGE STUDENT FOR BRINGING  EXPLOSIVE ABOARD AN AIRPLANE

 

HOUSTON, TX – Howard McFarland Fish, 21, a Pennsylvania college student and resident of Connecticut, has been charged with carrying an explosive aboard an aircraft. Fish will remain in federal custody in Houston pending an appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge on Monday, August 28, 2006.

According to the criminal complaint, Fish arrived at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston aboard Continental Airlines Flight 52 from Buenos Aires, Argentina early Friday morning. While going through the customs process a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) K-9 singled out Fish’s luggage for inspection. CBP officers inspected the bags and discovered an explosive. The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force responded and after determining that it was not an act of terrorism, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents took Fish into custody.

Carrying an Explosive Aboard an Aircraft is a felony offense and carries a maximum punishment of 10 years in federal prison without parole and a $250,000 fine, upon conviction.

A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.