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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Hoax call to avenge girlfriend lands plane, ends in arrests

By: Kathy Matheson and Maryclaire Dale

Posted: 09/8/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Law-enforcement officials attend the scene of a grounded US Airways flight. (MATT ROURKE / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

PHILADELPHIA -- A man angry his girlfriend's ex posted a compromising photo of her on Facebook took revenge, making a hoax call to police that set off a terrorism scare and pulled the former beau off an airplane at gunpoint, authorities say. In the end, both men were arrested.

The new boyfriend, Kenneth W. Smith Jr., was arrested Friday on charges of making a hoax threat to police in Philadelphia, who recalled a Dallas-bound flight and marched Christopher Shell off the plane Thursday.

The episode led to Shell's own arrest on drug warrants after he finally reached Texas to celebrate his 29th birthday.

On Friday, both Shell and Smith posted bond.

Shell declined to comment. Smith's lawyer, Bill Brennan, described his client as "embarrassed" by the consequences of the alleged threat.

"My client is very, very sobered by the amount of attention this has received," Brennan said after Smith's initial appearance in Federal Court in Philadelphia. "He's not very happy about it."

Passengers weren't very happy about the scare that rerouted US Airways Flight 1267 on Thursday morning. They were about 145 kilometres into their trip when the aircraft turned around.

After landing at Philadelphia International Airport, heavily armed law-enforcement officers boarded the plane and removed Shell. During questioning, he told authorities of the romantic feud, which involved hostile text messages with his ex and encounters with Smith, according to a federal affidavit.

Shell also gave officers the name of Smith's workplace. Upon arrival, authorities said Smith acknowledged calling airport police from a pay phone to say Shell was carrying liquid explosives.

Smith, 26, of Philadelphia, was charged with conveying false information that interfered with aviation and using an instrument of commerce -- the phone -- to do so.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and possible restitution.

Philadelphia police on Thursday had stressed Shell was blameless for the airplane scare. Collin County authorities said Shell had outstanding warrants for two drug-possession charges -- less than 56.7 grams of marijuana and less than 28 grams of a controlled substance.

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition September 8, 2012 A24

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