| Nathaniel Heatwole |
Article Index for Nathaniel |
Website Links For Nathaniel |
Information AboutNathaniel Heatwole |
|
Heatwole, then a Political Science and Physics student at Guilford College and a self-proclaimed Pacifist , is identified as the person who sent an E-mail on September 15 , 2003 , to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), reporting "security breaches" at two East-coast Airports between February 7 and September 14 , and stating an intent of " Public Disobedience " to show "flaws" in the airport security systems of the United States. On the day of the e-mail, packages containing banned materials were found inside two Southwest Airlines 737's , which landed in Houston and in New Orleans respectively. On Friday October 17 , the TSA provided the message to the FBI , which promptly identified Heatwole as the apparent author, and on The Following Monday , he was charged with taking a dangerous weapon aboard an aircraft, a felony punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. United States magistrate Judge Susan K. Gauvey released him on his own recognizance pending trial. Ultimately, Heatwole pleaded guilty to a Misdemeanor and was sentenced to two years supervised probation, a $500 fine, and 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to reimburse his parents for up to $500 in legal expenses. Heatwole is also an amateur radio operator with the callsign WZ3AR. |
|
|