Suspect Identified In MIA Explosion
MIAMI (CBS4) - The 37-year-old man arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation at Miami International Airport after his luggage exploded has been identified as Orville Andrew Braham.
The problem at Miami International Airport Tuesday started as bags were being unloaded at Gate D-17. The flight, American Airlines Flight 2585, had 148 people on board and arrived from Boston. Braham was allegedly heading for Jamaica when his bag exploded.
Law enforcement said the bag had hundreds of .45 caliber ammunition primers in the luggage and when one blasting cap went off; the others ignited as well, according to the Federal criminal complaint. An ammunition primer is the component of a bullet which starts the explosive charge that powers a bullet.
Agents went on to search Braham's second suitcase and found hundreds more .45 caliber ammunition primers in a plastic bag. Law enforcement also found the components of an ammunition reloading press. The reloading press is used to put together the parts needed to create bullets.
Federal agents say that after Braham was questioned without a Miranda warning, he admitted that he had 700 ammunition primers in the suitcase that he bought at a gun show in November 2009.
Braham told FBI agents that he used to reload ammunition and a hobby and that he described the ammunition press and the process of creating bullets. He claimed to have put the primers and press in a bag and hid them in a suitcase to keep them away from his kids, according to the criminal complaint.
Braham said he didn't remember the items were in his suitcase when he used it to travel to Jamaica.
Braham now faces a charge of transporting ammunition without providing proper notification to the airline, a violation of 18 USC Section 922(e).
Orville is no stranger to law enforcement. He was arrested earlier this year at an electronics store in Massachusetts when he tried to use $4,000 worth of allegedly stolen or forged gift cards to buy some flat-screen TVs.
During the previous arrest, he was also found to have a .22 caliber semi-automatic handgun in his waistband.
