Air Traffic Controller Accused of Having Weapon of Mass Destruction

An air traffic controller accused of possessing a weapon of mass destruction has lost his airport access and could lose his freedom as well. George Dandan, who worked at Charlotte Douglas International Airport in North Carolina, was arrested Friday and charged with possession of a weapon of mass destruction, acquiring a weapon of mass destruction, and transporting a weapon of mass destruction, WCNC reports. Police say Dandan, 30, was given a homemade pipe bomb by neighbor Derrick Fells, 39, who has also been charged.

Police say Fells planned to use the bomb against a neighbor but changed his mind and gave it to Dandan. Dandan, who is also a volunteer with the local fire department, was arrested in 2015 and charged with assaulting a woman. Authorities say his airport access only extended to the control tower. "The FAA employee only had access to the offsite air traffic control tower and had no access to the restricted areas of the terminal or ramp," airport officials said in a statement, per WSOC. “He did not have access to any aircraft."

(More air traffic controllers stories.)