TO THE TEETH

New Jersey Man Tried to Fly With AR-15 and Fake U.S. Marshal Badge: TSA

Convicted felon Seretse Clouden was arrested at Newark airport with a cache of weapons in his luggage, according to a criminal complaint.

A convicted felon in New Jersey tried to board a flight from Newark to Fort Lauderdale with two unregistered semi-automatic rifles, including an AR-15, as well as a Taser, a switchblade, a .40 caliber Glock handgun, and phony U.S. Marshal credentials, according to a criminal complaint unsealed Monday and obtained by The Daily Beast. Seretse Clouden was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport on Dec. 30 with the weapons in his checked luggage, along with a ballistic vest, multiple rounds of ammunition, a switchblade, an expandable baton, and a badge and ID card identifying himself as a U.S. marshal, the complaint states. The Marshal’s Service told law enforcement officers that Clouden, who was convicted on a state weapons possession charge in 2016, “is not, and was not, employed with the United States Marshal Service,” according to the filing. A record number of guns were seized at U.S. airports last year, the TSA recently announced. Clouden’s attorney, Paul Brickfield, did not immediately respond to The Daily Beast’s request for comment.