Thursday, 4:30 PM
North Carolina man charged with trying to bring gun on plane at Logan
By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff
A North Carolina businessman was arrested this morning at Logan International Airport after authorities said he tried to bring a loaded .380-caliber handgun onto a plane in his carry-on luggage.
A lawyer for John C. Megelich said today in East Boston Municipal Court that he forgot that he had put the handgun fully loaded with five bullets into his briefcase when he drove to Massachusetts from Charlotte with his wife to visit their son. Megelich had meant to put the gun in a safe in their home before leaving on their trip, said attorney Sanford Furman. At 6:45 a.m., Megelich was stopped by security screeners at terminal E as he tried to board a Northwest Airlines flight he was taking to a business meeting.
"He simply, completely forgot that it was there" in his briefcase, Furman said in court. "There was no intention to bring it to Massachusetts. There was no intention to bring it on the airplane."
Megelich, 53, pleaded not guilty to charges of unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm in an airport. He was released on $2,500 cash bail and is scheduled to appear again in court Aug. 29.
Phil Orlandella, a spokesman for Massport, said Megelich helped show that security at the airport is effective. "If you are dumb enough to take a gun in your carry-on," Orlandella said, "we're smart enough to find it."
According to a state police report filed in court, Megelich was asked if he had permit to carry a firearm. He told police he was allowed to keep the gun inside his North Carolina home and had no other legal permit for the weapon.
