Delta employee charged with helping smuggle guns onto plane

The FBI and New York police held a news conference to discuss the latest on an airline security breach involving a Delta employee facing federal charges.

Police say more than 150 guns were illegally smuggled from Atlanta to New York on more than a dozen trips. Channel 2's Rachel Stockman broke the news Monday that a former Delta employee at Hartsfield-Jackson is accused of using his clearance to help smuggle the guns.

Investigators believe those guns made it on to 20 different flights.

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Stockman obtained a mugshot of Eugene Harvey from a previous arrest for simple battery. He was found not guilty, but the College Park native is now facing more serious charges of gun trafficking.

Channel 2 was first to obtain a copy of the arrest affidavit and Tuesday afternoon police briefed reporters.

"They put guns on the plane this time. They could have easily put a bomb on one of those planes ," said Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson.

New York police first uncovered the major operation, which resulted in five arrests, including Harvey's.

"They breached the security to smuggle so many firearms, so many guns on planes from Atlanta to New York City," Thompson said.

Investigators believe Harvey used his access as a Delta employee to bypass security lines. Police believe it was not the first time.

"Mark Henry literally took about 20 flights with guns on them," Thompson said.

Police say Henry and Harvey would meet at a College Park home. Stockman saw a pickup there with a Delta tag.

Someone from inside the home drove away quickly when Stockman tried to ask questions..

Delta passengers are unnerved during one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.

In total, police recovered 153 guns. Delta emailed a statement saying it's cooperating with authorities and the airline is taking the case very seriously.

The Transportation Security Administration sent Channel 2 Action News the following statement Tuesday:

“TSA takes the potential for insider threats at airports very seriously. TSA administers security threat assessments and airport criminal checks for all airline employees prior to receiving credentials and access privileges. This is a recurring vetting process that involves random checks. TSA continues to closely partner with law enforcement on this investigation and, where possible, will use the findings from the investigation to improve current processes.”