Rep. Victoria Spartz R-Ind. had a misdemeanor weapons charge dropped after accidentally bringing an unloaded firearm to Dulles International Airport over the summer, court records reveal.
The charge, which resulted from a TSA detection of a .380 caliber firearm in her carry-on bag on June 28, led Spartz to complete a gun safety training course.
The prosecutor’s decision to dismiss the charge through a nolle prosequi followed her compliance. Under Virginia law, carrying a firearm in an airport terminal is an automatic charge, but Spartz’s office clarified it was an innocent mistake.
The Transportation Security Administration TSA noted the incident as part of its ongoing reports, with 3,269 firearms detected at airports in the first half of this year alone.