Birthday Prank At PHL Turns Into Federal Charges

Nov. 6, 2012

A birthday prank that spiraled out of control resulted in federal charges Monday for a Philadelphia man.

Kenneth W. Smith Jr., 26, allegedly called police at Philadelphia International Airport on Sept. 6 and claimed that a passenger was trying to smuggle explosives on a flight to Texas.

The intended victim of the hoax, Smith's friend Christopher Shell, was celebrating his 29th birthday. Shell was aboard a US Airways flight to Dallas-Fort Worth, only 30 minutes out of Philadelphia, when the plane was ordered to return to the airport. Shell was led from the plane in handcuffs. A bomb-sniffing dog found no explosives on the plane, Shell was cleared, and the aircraft took off more than three hours after its scheduled departure.

Federal authorities charged Smith with one count of malicious false information about an explosive and one count of false information and hoaxes, announced U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger. If convicted, Smith faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, and restitution to the airline. - Staff report

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