A former United States Marine posed as a safety crew member for Marine One, the helicopter that transports President Trump, and breached two checkp
A former United States Marine posed as a safety crew member for Marine One, the helicopter that transports President Trump, and breached two checkpoints final week at Palm Seaside Worldwide Airport, the authorities mentioned.
The previous Marine, Brandon M. Magnan, 37, of Naples, Fla., was charged on Jan. 6 with false personation of officer or worker of the USA, in line with a legal criticism by the USA Secret Service.
It wasn’t clear why Mr. Magnan was making an attempt to get close to the helicopter. Marine One, which is piloted and guarded by the Marine Corps unit generally known as HMX-1, is used to move the president for shorter journeys, the Secret Service mentioned.
Mr. Trump was spending his winter vacation in Palm Seaside, Fla., at his non-public Mar-a-Lago resort on the time of the episode with Mr. Magnan.
On Jan. 5, a protecting zone was established round Atlantic Aviation, which supplies hangar house, jet gasoline gross sales and flight help companies, as Mr. Trump was making ready to go away West Palm Seaside for Washington, the authorities mentioned.
Mr. Magnan was driving a Honda Pilot with an unidentified male passenger at about three p.m. after they approached a safety checkpoint. Mr. Magnan recognized himself as a member of HMX-1 and offered a credential that indicated he was a legislation enforcement officer with the USA Marine Corps, in line with the criticism.
Investigators mentioned the credential bore the seals of the Marines and the Marine Corps Government Flight Detachment. Mr. Magnan was permitted by means of the checkpoint.
He offered the identical credential at a second checkpoint, the place he was allowed to proceed, the criticism mentioned.
However a sheriff’s deputy there observed that Mr. Magnan was not carrying a Marine Corps uniform, which is normal throughout presidential journey, the criticism mentioned.
The deputy contacted members of the safety element, who recognized the credential as pretend. When confronted, Mr. Magnan informed legislation enforcement officers that he was a retired member of HMX-1, the criticism mentioned.
The Secret Service discovered that Mr. Magnan had served with the Marines till he was dishonorably discharged about 10 years in the past after being convicted at a court-martial for “critical offenses.”
Mr. Magnan is listed within the Florida Division of Regulation Enforcement Intercourse Offender registry for convictions in 2010 in navy court docket associated to abusive sexual conduct and sodomy. The small print on these expenses weren’t instantly obtainable.
Mr. Magnan was launched on a $100,000 bond, in line with court docket data. Neither Mr. Magnan nor his lawyer, Peter Vincent Birch, could possibly be reached on Saturday.
If convicted, Mr. Magnan faces a most of three years in jail, a wonderful of $250,000 and a yr of supervised launch. He has a court docket listening to scheduled for Jan. 27.
It was not clear who the unidentified man touring with Mr. Magnan was or whether or not he was arrested. It was additionally unclear how shut Mr. Magnan obtained to Marine One or what number of extra safety checkpoints he confronted.
The episode is the newest safety breach associated to Mr. Trump and his visits to Mar-a-Lago.
Final month, a Chinese national trespassed on the non-public membership and was arrested when she refused to go away. In March 2019, a Chinese woman was arrested after gaining entry on the membership whereas carrying 4 cellphones and different digital tools.