Lakeland Man Sentenced To More Than 3 Years For Bringing Loaded Firearm Into Tampa International Airport Terminal

Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Abraham Othman Yacoub (26, Lakeland) to three years and six months in federal prison for violating airport security requirements and attempted possession of a dangerous weapon on an aircraft. Yacoub entered a guilty plea on April 10, 2024.

According to the court records, on August 4, 2023, Yacoub arrived at Tampa International Airport to board a flight to Las Vegas, Nevada. Yacoub entered the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening line and placed his backpack, shoes, and other personal items into a TSA bin before proceeding through TSA screening.

The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Rules and Regulations for Tampa International Airport state that “[n]o person except those persons authorized by law may carry a firearm or concealed weapon inside the passenger terminal and sterile areas of the airport…” Further, the airport has clearly posted no-firearms signs at the entry of every airport security line. 

TSA electronically screened Yacoub’s items with an x-ray machine and observed a firearm inside of Yacoub’s bag. While TSA agents were attempting to locate the bag containing the firearm, Yacoub took his bag from the conveyor belt and proceeded to the nearest men’s restroom. Once in the restroom, Yacoub removed the firearm from his backpack, wrapped it in toilet paper, and hid it in a trashcan.

 A short time later, Yacoub exited the men’s restroom and returned to the TSA screening area, still holding his backpack, where he was met by a TSA agent. TSA agents rescreened Yacoub’s backpack and questioned Yacoub who lied to TSA agents and told them that he had not brought a firearm into the airport. The airport terminal had to be evacuated of passengers and numerous flights were delayed.

The Tampa Airport Police Department (TPA PD) responded to the screening area, questioned Yacoub, and searched the men’s restroom that Yacoub had entered. Inside a trashcan in the bathroom, TSA and TPA PD officers located a black firearm partially wrapped in toilet paper with 14 nine-millimeter rounds of ammunition inside of a magazine loaded into the gun.

Yacoub agreed to forfeit the Glock 19 and assorted ammunition, seized on August 4, 2023, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense.

This is Yacoub’s second time bringing a firearm into a Florida airport. In late 2020, Yacoub brought a firearm into the TSA secured area of an airport in Miami-Dade County. Yacoub pleaded guilty on August 19, 2021, to carrying a concealed firearm for that offense.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Tampa International Airport Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.