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49ers' Aldon Smith Arrested After LAX Bomb Threat

By Jenny Tsay, Esq. | Last updated on

More trouble ahead for San Francisco 49ers' players: Aldon Smith was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) for allegedly making a bomb threat.

The linebacker reportedly yelled "bomb" at LAX and made a comment to a TSA agent that he was in possession of an explosive, according to TMZ.

Although Smith was released after posting bail, he was arrested for making a false report of a bomb threat.

False Report of a Bomb Threat

Bomb threats are nothing to joke about. Even if a person reports a bomb threat in jest, it can still result in serious legal consequences for the man or woman who cried "bomb."

Under California law, a person who reports that a bomb or other explosive has been or will be placed in any public or private place while knowing the report is false can face up to one year imprisonment in a county jail.

To be convicted under the statute, the person must make the false report to:

  • Any peace officer,
  • Employee of a fire department,
  • District attorney or deputy district attorney,
  • Newspaper,
  • Radio station,
  • Television station,
  • Employees of the Department of Justice,
  • Employees of an airline or an airport,
  • Employees of a railroad or busline, or
  • News reporter

In Smith's case, he was apparently randomly selected for a secondary screening by a TSA agent and became "belligerent and uncooperative." That's when Smith stated that he was "in possession of a bomb," TMZ reports.

Potential Sentencing

If the 49er player is convicted of making a false report about a bomb threat, he may be sentenced to up to a year in jail. At sentencing, the judge will consider several factors when determining the appropriate punishment. Among the factors, the judge will look at whether the criminal is a first-time offender, whether the crime was committed under great personal stress or duress, and if anyone was hurt.

Although no one was injured in the bomb threat fiasco, Smith does have a criminal history. According to TMZ, Smith was previously arrested for a DUI and has also been charged with illegal possession of an assault weapon. If Smith is convicted, his prior criminal history will certainly not help his odds of receiving a lighter sentence.

Smith's arrest comes shortly after his teammate Colin Kaepernick's police investigation in Miami.

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