What to Know
- Federal officers at Newark Liberty International Airport stopped crew members of a CNBC show after a security check last week
- The crew had a device used to compress luggage, but the TSA thought it was a fake bomb; nine men were arrested
- Endemol Shine North America employs the show's crew and issued an apology
Nine members of a television crew have pleaded not guilty to creating a false public alarm and other counts after one of their devices prompted a fake-bomb alert at one of the New York area's three major airports.
They entered their pleas Friday during their initial court appearance. They are also charged with interference with transportation and conspiracy.
The creators of a CNBC reality show "Staten Island Hustle" have said the crew was shooting an episode about a vacuum device used to compress luggage when it prompted the alert Jan. 18 at Newark Liberty International Airport.
The Transportation Security Administration had believed the device was a fake bomb. It says parts of the gadget were "indicators of an improvised explosive device."
"Staten Island Hustle" documents a group of investors searching for unconventional products.
CNBC is owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC 4 New York.
