Attorney For 'Muslims' Filmmaker To Represent LAX Body Armor Suspect

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A 28-year-old Boston man who was arrested at LAX wearing body armor and transporting knives, body bags and a hatchet will be represented by the same attorney representing the filmmaker behind a notorious anti-Islam movie.

KNX 1070's Pete Demetriou reports Yongda Huang Harris is reportedly not cooperating with authorities ahead of a scheduled court appearance later this week.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents detained Harris at the Bradley Terminal last week after he disembarked a flight from Korea wearing a bullet-resistant vest, flame-retardant legging covers and knee pads beneath a trench coat.

A further search of his checked luggage turned up a gas mask, bio-hazard suits, leg irons, knives, body bags, a hatchet, a collapsible baton, billy clubs, a respirator, and a smoke grenade, which is defined as a hazardous device and prohibited from being taken aboard any passenger aircraft, according to CBP officials.

Harris - a naturalized U.S. citizen of Chinese descent - made an initial court appearance on Tuesday, where he was charged with one count of transporting hazardous materials.

He will be accompanied in court on Friday by his attorney Steven Seiden, the same lawyer representing Mark Yousseff, the filmmaker behind the "Innocence of Muslims" video that was blamed for the attacks on the U.S. Embassy in Libya on Sept. 11 that killed a U.S. Ambassador and three other Americans.

Officials have not connected Harris with any terrorist organization and have not elevated security levels at U.S. airports.

If convicted, Harris faces up to five years in prison. A detention hearing is scheduled for Friday.