Passenger Charged After Explosive Device Found Before Sacramento Flight

A federal grand jury has charged a 49-year-old Sacramento man, Kamani Osienda Jones, also known as Jackson, after airport security stopped him seconds before he boarded an American Airlines flight from Sacramento to Charlotte, North Carolina. The arrest took place around 9 p.m. at Sacramento International Airport, where officers say Jones arrived wearing a blue latex glove, a scarf covering his face, and carrying a bag that concealed an active homemade explosive and several weapons.

According to court records released by the U.S. attorney’s office, security officers found an M-type explosive device, a powerful igniter, a knife, scissors and razor blades, a gas canister, zip ties and five cellphones. One phone had a 15-minute timer already set, and another displayed a text message that read, “We will wait for your call.” The cameras on all five phones had been covered with tape, apparently to block recording.

Jones first told screeners he did not know the weapons were in his bag and asked whether he could “just throw them away,” then denied owning the backpack and refused to cooperate or be interviewed. Bomb technicians from Sacramento County and an FBI bomb expert safely neutralized the device, and laboratory tests found both the powder and fuse were active and energetic. Officials said that if the bomb had detonated near an aircraft window at more than 10,000 feet, it could have caused catastrophic damage and a lethal loss of cabin pressure.

Investigators said the case appears to be tied to Jones’ mental state. The sheriff’s office said he has a history of paranoia and had called the FBI tip line 13 times in recent months, claiming he was being watched, threatened online, and even forced to speak in his sleep. On the day of his arrest, he again called the FBI about “cyber threats,” while insisting on his right to carry weapons and saying he did not intend to hurt anyone.

Jones faces three serious charges: attempting to place an explosive on an aircraft, unlawful possession of an explosive in an airport, and attempting to bring a dangerous weapon or explosive onto a plane. Federal public defender Megan McLaughlin said, “There is often another side to a case beyond the government’s dry allegations,” and said the full story will emerge in court. If convicted, Jones faces a mandatory minimum of 20 years on the bomb count alone, plus up to 15 more years on the other charges and heavy fines.