Mass. man gets 6 months in Fla. airport disruption

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Associated Press

MIAMI -- A Massachusetts man who disrupted holiday travel at Miami International Airport when bullet primers he had concealed in his luggage ignited was sentenced Tuesday to six months in federal prison.

Under federal sentencing guidelines, 38-year-old Orville Braham of Boston could have gotten nearly three years behind bars. But U.S. District Judge Paul Huck gave Braham a break, even as he described the Dec. 28 incident as "a very, very dangerous situation" that could have caused a tragic in-flight disaster.

"Something serious did happen. Fortunately, nobody got hurt," Huck said.

Braham, who works as a tow truck driver, pleaded guilty in February to illegal transport of explosive and hazardous materials. He was traveling from Boston to his native Jamaica with some 1,700 bullet primers concealed in the lining of his luggage, according to court documents. A bullet primer is the bottom casing that contains gunpowder and a firing pin, but no slug on top.


Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/05/03/2198204/man-faces-prison-in-fla-airport.html

[demosincebirth]

1. Some are just brain dead.

[FLPanhandle]

2. Planes have gone down due to fire in the cargo holds

I'd have given him the full 3 years.

[valerief]

3. They should put him on a permanent no-fly list. nt

[Dirigo]

4. The Stupid SOB Should Be Declared A Non Person

The stupid SOB should never be allowed on an aircraft again, secondly, he should never hold a passport. He is an idiot unworthy of being treated as a traveler able to travel with the public at large. He should have been caned! The public has a right to be safe and with ignoramuses like this floating in and out of airports we are all in jeopardy. Lastly, he's too stupid to travel!

[rsdsharp]

5. I wonder what else the AP got wrong.

"A bullet primer is the bottom casing that contains gunpowder and a firing pin, but no slug on top."

Well, no, not so much.

There are four parts to a round of ammunition. The bullet, which is the part that is actually fired from the weapon, the shell casing, into which powder is loaded, and then topped with the bullet, and the primer.

In the base of a center fire case is a primer pocket into which a primer is seated by means of a reloading press or hand primer press. The base of a loaded round looks like a circle within a circle. When the firing pin (which is part of the weapon, not part of the round) strikes the primer, it explodes, igniting the powder inside the case which fires the bullet.

Primers are about the same diameter as a pencil eraser, and about half as long. They are typically sold in lots of 1000.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[callous taoboy]

7. What.A.Dumb.Ass

[RedCloud]

8. Ah those Orvilles and flying machines...

Maybe this one was not as wright as the other one