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Man With Box Cutter In Book At TIA Guilty Of Weapons Charge
Photo provided by the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority.
A security officer at Tampa International Airport found a box cutter hidden in a hollowed-out book in February.
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Published: May 13, 2008
Benjamin Baines
TAMPA - Benjamin Baines Jr., who was arrested in February at Tampa International Airport after security found a box cutter in a hollowed-out book, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court.
Baines, 22, of Largo, could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. He is charged with attempting to board an airplane with a concealed dangerous weapon. Baines' sentencing hearing is set for July 24 before Judge William J. Castagna.
When airport security ran Baines' backpack through an X-ray machine Feb. 17, an image of a box cutter was visible, according to a report from the Transportation Security Administration.
When searching the backpack, a security officer found a book titled "Fear Itself," which was hollowed out. The box cutter was inside, the report said.
Baines later told authorities he had hollowed out the book to hide money and marijuana from his roommates. Officers said Baines told them he was moving to Las Vegas and forgot the cutter was in the book.
He was booked into Orient Road Jail on Feb. 17 and was charged with carrying a concealed weapon. He pleaded guilty to the state charge and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, court records show.
Baines was arrested by U.S. marshals after he completed the jail sentence of the state charge, the U.S. attorney's office said.
Reporter Ray Reyes can be reached at (813) 259-7920 or rreyes@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( Cristy12 ) on May 13, 2008 at 8:56 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
How dumb can you be?
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Posted by ( flea ) on May 13, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Seems like he was going to do something with this weapon, go going TIA for getting another insane off the streets.
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Posted by ( rocknroll ) on May 13, 2008 at 10:36 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
good, let him rot, sounds like he definetly was planning to do something with the box cutter.
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Posted by ( suemccartin ) on May 13, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
How do you forget you put a box cutter in your stash box? Yeah I believe that like I'd buy ocean front property in Kansas. I hope they checked the guy out for AL Kaida connections he looks like the kind of malcontent that would go for it....remember they are always always pressing against the walls looking for cracks, sounds to me like that's what was going on here.
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Posted by ( StanleyGoodspeed ) on May 13, 2008 at 12:44 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Alot of people don't know this... but you can put your WEED in there!
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Posted by ( DennyPCrane ) on May 13, 2008 at 12:59 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Even if his excuse of forgetting the boxcutter was in the book was valid, which I most seriously doubt why would he be bringing a hollowed out bood abord and aircraft? He obviously had some intention here whether it be doing something with the boxcutter (which I believe he did) or picking something illegal up on the other side. Either way his story doesn't stand up to any common sense reason for having a hollowed out book on an aircraft.
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Posted by ( DennyPCrane ) on May 13, 2008 at 1 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I NEED TO START REVIEWING MY POSTS FOR TYPOS. BUT YOU GET THE MESSAGE.
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