Man who breached airport security by kissing his girlfriend pleads guilty

A man who breached airport security by going to give his girlfriend a kiss, pleaded guilty Tuesday to defiant trespass, his lawyer said.

Haisong Jiang of New Jersey pleaded guilty to a charge that is a "petty disorderly persons offense." His lawyer, Eric B. Bruce says, "It's not even considered a crime in New Jersey." Bruce said that Jiang, originally from China, walked under a rope and entered a security area at Newark Liberty International Airport on January 3 to give his girlfriend a kiss. The breach shut down Terminal C for hours, forcing the re-screening of thousands of passengers. Jiang apologized for his mistake, which caused a multitude of flight delays, saying, "I made big mistake, and I also learned a big lesson in my life." Jiang will be required to pay a $500 fine and court fees/costs of $158 -- part of a plea deal reached with prosecutors. In addition, Jiang will have to perform 100 hours of community service. Jiang was arrested on January 8. Security video from the incident shows a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer who left his post unattended a few minutes after he asked an unidentified man in a light-colored jacket to stay behind the rope line. Moments later, the man (Jiang) ducks under the rope and walks the wrong way through security to greet a woman. The incident prompted Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) to introduce legislation that would create a penalty of up to $10,000 for intentionally breaching airport security and a criminal penalty of up to 10 years in prison.