Ex-Marine accused of putting grenade in checked baggage at airport

A 23-year-old former Marine faces multiple felony charges after he allegedly tried to take a non-lethal grenade and artillery fuses onto a plane at John Wayne Airport, authorities said Thursday.

Gregory Salyer -- a recently discharged Marine who is from Kentucky -- has been charged with one felony count of placing a destructive device in a checked baggage, two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, one felony count of receiving stolen property and one misdemeanor count of carrying a switch-blade knife on his person, the Orange County district attorney’s office said.

The plane and part of a terminal were evacuated Tuesday afternoon when luggage screeners discovered suspicious items in Salyer’s checked bag, the Daily Pilot reported.

Authorities found a sting-ball grenade that shoots rubber projectiles, two military artillery fuses and a fuse assembly in a green military duffel bag Salyer had checked, according to law enforcement authorities.

When officials evacuated the flight to Denver that Salyer had boarded, they found that he had carried onto the plane a butterfly knife, 300 steroid pills and more than 10 Adderall pills, according to prosecutors.

Salyer was not authorized to have the military equipment found in his luggage, sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock said. A Marine Corps officer took possession of the grenade and fuses.

Authorities arrested Salyer in the departure area of the airport. He is being held in lieu of $500,000 bail, prosecutors said.

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Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck

Dobruck writes for Times Community News.