Man faces 4 felony counts in connection to explosive found in luggage

The 23-year-old Kentucky man who allegedly tried to bring a non-lethal grenade and artillery fuses onto a plane at John Wayne Airport this week could face up to eight years in state prison, according to law enforcement authorities.

Gregory Salyer, a recently discharged Marine, has been charged with one felony count of placing a destructive device in a checked bag, 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 announced Thursday.

Salyer caused the evacuation of a plane and part of a terminal Tuesday afternoon when luggage screeners discovered suspicious items in his checked bag, according to Orange County Sheriff’s Department officials.

Sheriff’s Department, Transportation Security Administration and FBI personnel responded to JWA and found a sting-ball grenade that shoots rubber projectiles, two military artillery fuses and a fuse assembly in a green military duffel bag that Salyer had checked, according to law enforcement authorities.

When authorities evacuated the Denver-bound flight that Salyer had boarded, they also found that he had carried onto the plane with him a butterfly knife, 300 steroid pills and more than 10 Adderall pills, according to the district attorney’s office. Adderall is a stimulant used to treat attention deficit disorder.

Salyer was not authorized to have the military equipment found in his luggage, sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock said.

A Marine official took possession of the grenade and fuses, according to the district attorney’s office.

Authorities arrested Salyer in the departure area of the airport and are holding him on $500,000 bail, the office said.