Related Article: LaGuardia calm days after bomb scare
Nearly a week after Scott McGann, 32, was arrested for carrying a false explosive into LaGuardia Airport, he was indicted on charges of placing a false bomb in a mass transportation facility and making a terrorist threat.
The sealed indictment was handed down on Thursday, August 6 at a hearing. It is expected to be unsealed at his arraignment on August 18.
McGann, according to reports, may face up to seven years in prison if found guilty.
Following the Saturday, August 1 incident — which prompted an evacuation of the main terminal building, shut down the airport for several hours and led to major delays in air and road traffic — he was ordered to submit to psychiatric evaluation.
“The defendant is clearly a very troubled young man,” said District Attorney Richard A. Brown.
McGann, who was holding a valid plane ticket to Chicago with connecting flights leading to California, was confronted by Port Authority officers after reports surfaced of a suspicious passenger. He allegedly remained silent as he was questioned then repeatedly hit a switch. The officers noticed wires coming from a bag in his possession and separated the two.
When officers inspected the contents of the bag, they found electronics and batteries but no explosives. The airport was evacuated for safety around 5:30 a.m. and travelers were not allowed back in until nearly four hours later.
McGann is currently in the psychiatric ward at Bellevue Hospital.
