NEWARK -- A federal air marshal left his loaded gun in a bathroom stall at Newark Liberty International Airport, then boarded a flight he was assigned to protect without it, NJ Advance Media has learned.

The incident occurred late last month, when the marshal left the handgun on top of a toilet paper dispenser in the public men's room near Checkpoint 2 in Terminal C, according to a Transportation Security Administration supervisor and a law enforcement source, who asked their names not be used because they were not authorized to discuss the incident.

The gun was discovered by a airport janitor, who alerted a TSA supervisor, the sources said. The janitor and supervisor sealed off the stall and called Port Authority Police.

Officers took possession of the weapon, which upon inspection was found to be loaded, and then traced its serial number to the marshal, the sources said.

The sources did not know the precise date of the incident, which they said occurred in the last afternoon or early evening.

A TSA spokesman for the marshal service, Michael D. Pascarella, declined to comment.

"TSA will not discuss the mission activities of Federal Air Marshals," Pascarella said in an email.

A Port Authority Police spokesman, Joe Pentangelo, also declined to comment.



Federal air marshals are law enforcement officers within the TSA, who pose as airline passengers with a mission, "to detect, deter, and defeat hostile acts targeting U.S. air carriers, airports, passengers, and crews," according to the TSA, a branch of the Department of Homeland Security. Unlike the unarmed TSA screening officers recognizable to fliers at security checkpoints, marshals carry guns and dress in plain clothes.

"Federal Air Marshals must operate independently without backup, and rank among those Federal law enforcement officers that hold the highest standard for handgun accuracy," the TSA states, referring to the importance of not shooting holes in a pressurized aircraft cabin. "They blend in with passengers and rely on their training, including investigative techniques, criminal terrorist behavior recognition, firearms proficiency, aircraft specific tactics, and close quarters self-defense measures to protect the flying public."

By its stealthy nature, the Air Marshal Service does not attract much attention to itself or its undercover operatives. However, eight New York-based marshals made headlines in 2012 when they were fired for drinking at a restaurant while on duty, six others were suspended for failing to report them.

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow hin on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook.