FBI: Ex-airman claimed he had dynamite

BANGOR, Maine — A former Air Force intelligence specialist showed signs of paranoia aboard a trans-Atlantic flight and told federal air marshals that he had dynamite in his boots and laptop computer, forcing the plane to be diverted to Maine, according to court documents filed Wednesday.

Derek Stansberry told the FBI that fellow passengers were talking about him, ridiculing him and using interrogation techniques on him, and suggested that he concocted the dynamite story to divert attention from the fact he held “classified information,” according to an affidavit.

Passengers reported that seat cushions, pillows and blankets were taken to the back of the plane, where federal air marshals erected a bunker of sorts around the boots and laptop “to dampen the effects of any potential explosion,” FBI Special Agent James McCarty wrote in the affidavit.

Stansberry, 26, of Riverview, Fla., is charged with false information and threats, and interfering with a flight crew. He was ordered detained pending a competency hearing.

The Air Force described him as a former intelligence specialist who served four years, ending his Air Force career as a senior airman in 2009 at Hurlburt Field, Fla.

SIG Secures Federal Air Marshal Pistol Contract

SIG Sauer Inc. has announced it has secured a multi-million dollar contract to deliver pistols to the Federal Air Marshal Service.  The contract provides the Federal Air Marshal Service with SIG SAUER’s SIG P250 Compact pistol in .357 SIG caliber.

Ron Cohen, president and CEO of SIG Sauer, said, “The Company is very proud and honored to be awarded this contract from such a prestigious agency requiring such exceptionally high standards.”  Cohen noted that “the P250 is quickly earning a reputation for superior reliability and dependability,” which he believed helped take it to the forefront of some very grueling competition.