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Airline passenger claimed to be Osama

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Front pages headlines from around the country that announce the death of Al-Qaida terror leader Osama bin Laden are seen in front of the Newseum in Washington on May 2, 2011. UPI/Kevin Dietsch
Front pages headlines from around the country that announce the death of Al-Qaida terror leader Osama bin Laden are seen in front of the Newseum in Washington on May 2, 2011. UPI/Kevin Dietsch 
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Published: May 3, 2011 at 3:35 PM

NEW YORK, May 3 (UPI) -- Airport screeners in New York took 40 minutes to call police on a man who said he was Osama bin Laden and claimed to have a bomb, the New York Post reports.

Sources told the Post the man, identified as Christian Boncorps, 61, of Yonkers, N.Y., was drunk at 10:20 p.m. Friday when he approached the Air France ticket counter at John F. Kennedy International Airport and responded to a question about the contents of his luggage by claiming to be the al-Qaida leader and saying there was a bomb in his bag.

The clerk took Boncorps to a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint where he was subject to standard screening procedures and police were not called until 40 minutes after the incident, the sources said.

TSA spokeswoman Ann Davis said officials are reviewing the incident, which occurred two days before bin Laden was killed by an elite U.S. military team in Pakistan.

"TSA continues to look into the circumstances surrounding this matter," she said. "However, travelers can be assured that every TSA and airport employee is trained to take any and all threats seriously and notify law enforcement to ensure the safety of the airport and air travelers."

Boncorps pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was fined $250.

Topics: Osama bin Laden
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