Summary

Bernard Williams of Norwalk, CT, was convicted by a jury in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, NY, for checking undeclared ammonia, a corrosive hazardous material, on an air carrier for transport. In February 2002, Williams checked two cardboard boxes with Spirit Airlines in Fort Myers, FL, for a flight to LaGuardia Airport in New York City. He told at least two airline personnel that the boxes contained kitty litter when they contained 13 bottles of ammonia. During flight, a noxious smell sickened about 28 passengers, including a seven-week-old infant who was subsequently hospitalized. Inspection of the cargo on landing revealed one of the ammonia bottles had broken.