Guilty Plea in JWA Gun Case
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A Yorba Linda man charged in federal court with attempting to board a plane at John Wayne Airport with a loaded handgun, folding knife and 10 syringes in his carry-on bag has pleaded guilty to one of three counts in a plea deal.
Ali Reza Khatami, 65, was scheduled to go on trial next week on a three-count indictment of attempting to carry a concealed weapon onto an aircraft. He pleaded guilty to carrying the loaded handgun Tuesday in exchange for the promise of a lenient sentence.
“The maximum sentence is 10 years, but we agreed to recommend the low end, which means essentially probation,” said Assistant U.S. Atty. Greg Staples.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 8.
Khatami had a .38-caliber handgun and a six-inch buck knife with him when he attempted to catch a June 24 flight to Chicago. He told investigators he forgot the items were in his bag in his rush to catch the flight.
A federal transportation inspector noticed the weapons during a routine X-ray of the carry-on bag.
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