Boxer celebrating 30th birthday is arrested trying to board plane for Vegas with unloaded gun

Robert Joseph Guerrero, who is the interim WBC welterweight champ, has been arrested for trying to check-in for his flight in New York with a unloaded .40-cal Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol.



The boxing champ, known in the ring as The Ghost, faces four felony weapons charges after his arrest on Thursday morning at John F. Kennedy airport.



He was trying to check-in for his flight to Las Vegas at the time of his arrest.



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Arrested: Robert Joseph Guerrero, 30, was arrested on Thursday with an unloaded .40-cal Smith & Wesson semi-automatic at John F. Kennedy airport Charged: Robert Joseph Guerrero was taken to a booking station in Queens and charged with four felony counts in connection to his gun possession Guerrero told the Delta ticket agent that he had a gun in his possession when he was in the process of checking in for flight 1429 to Las Vegas.



Port Authority Police were called and they arrested him.



Sources told FOX5 News that Guerrero's gun is registered in California but said the man does not have a license for the weapon in New York.

He has been charged with criminal possession of a weapon and three counts stemming three high capacity unloaded magazines he was carrying at the time.



The boxing champ had been on the East Coast to promote his upcoming fight on May 4 in Las Vegas against Floyd Mayweather.



In the ring: The boxing champ (pictured in July 2010) had been on the East Coast to promote his upcoming fight on May 4 in Las Vegas against Floyd Mayweather

Guerrero, a strong Christian, has taken time off from his career to care for his wife Casey after she was diagnosed with leukemia.

On Monday, he appeared on the Christian Broadcasting Network's The 700 Club with Pat Robertson to discuss his faith and how his wife has recovered and been healed after her cancer diagnosis.



A press conference publicizing the fight was held on Tuesday in New York and he was also spotted on ESPN and meeting with FOX News' Sean Hannity during his New York junket.



He and his wife also met with Good Morning America host, Robin Roberts, who had recently received a bone marrow transplant.

Guerrero, with a career record of 31-1-1, had celebrated his 30th birthday on Wednesday.

Heart to heart: Robert Joseph Guerrero, 30, appeared with his wife, Casey (second from left), this week on Christian Broadcasting Network's The 700 Club with Pat Robertson to discuss his faith

It is believed that he was with his manager at the time of his arrest on Thursday.



Due to stricter gun restrictions enacted into law by Gov. Cuomo on March 16, Guerrero's possession charge is considered a felony not merely a misdemeanor.

'If a passenger chooses to travel with a weapon, they should first acquaint themselves with the weapon laws of the jurisdiction that they are visiting and comply with any and all legal requirements,' Queens DA Richard Brown told WNBC-TV.



'Otherwise, they may find themselves being arrested and charged with a felony – as is what occurred in this case.'

He remained in custody at a booking center in Queens on Thursday afternoon.