Tea Party Leader Pleads Guilty After Gun Arrest

Mark Meckler was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge and fined $250.

Prosecutors say Mark Meckler, the founder of a major tea party organization, has pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after taking his gun to LaGuardia Airport.

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced the plea Thursday by Meckler, a co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots.

Meckler was taken into custody last month after he tried to check in for a Delta flight to Detroit. He had a locked gun box containing a Glock pistol and ammunition.

Meckler declared the weapon, as required. He's licensed to carry it in Grass Valley, Calif., where he lives. But authorities said that license isn't valid in New York.

He told authorities that he had the gun because he gets threats.

Meckler was sentenced to a one-year conditional discharge and fined $250.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us