A former Federal Aviation Administration inspector from Sugar Hill, Ga., has pleaded not guilty to federal misdemeanor charges of carrying a loaded gun on a plane, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Ernest Abbott, 69, said he had a Georgia permit to carry a gun, that he forgot he had it with him, and that it belonged to his wife, Channel 2 said.
Abbott was charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm. He also has been charged with unlawfully entering Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and getting on a plane while bypassing required passenger security screening.
Authorities said Abbott flew from Atlanta to New York on Jan. 12, 2015. Prior to boarding his flight, authorities said, he used his Atlanta airport employee access card to bypass TSA screening.
On Jan. 13 a firearm was detected in his carry-on luggage as he attempted to fly back to Atlanta, authorities said.
Abbott has been ordered to appear in federal court in Atlanta on May 5, and he has a hearing in New York set for May 13, Channel 2 reported.
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