Charges dropped against
air passenger with box cutter

The man didn't know the blade
was in his shoe, an inquiry finds

The federal government dropped all charges yesterday against a 33-year-old Fairfax, Va., man who was arrested after airport authorities found a razor blade inside his black leather shoe.

Randy Joseph Rustick passed an FBI polygraph test that confirmed he did not know about the blade in the shoe, his attorney, Howard Luke, said.

"I felt from the outset this man was telling us the absolute truth," Luke said.

Rustick's wife had taken his shoes to be resoled at an East Coast shoe repair shop, Luke said. The 3-inch blade was found under the inner lining of his left dress shoe.

David Hayakawa, another attorney for Rustick, said the case illustrates how a law-abiding citizen can turn into "national public enemy No. 1" overnight.

"The lesson from this is that in these troubled times, people need to wait for the government to do their investigation and to keep that presumption of innocence in mind until all the facts come to light," he said.

Rustick's attorneys said the FBI conducted a thorough and exhaustive investigation, but they did not know whether any arrests have been made in connection with the shoe shop.

Luke said Rustick had a difficult time, especially after early TV news reports showed people assuming he was guilty and glad he had been caught.

Rustick was charged Dec. 22 for allegedly attempting to board a plane to Kauai a day earlier with a dangerous, concealed weapon, which carries a 10-year sentence and a $250,000 fine.

The Kauai native had traveled to Honolulu from Virginia with his wife and four children. They were on their way to Kauai to visit his mother and stepfather. The family was going through a security checkpoint on their way to board an Aloha Airlines flight at Honolulu Airport Interisland Terminal when Rustick was stopped.

Luke said Rustick had worn other shoes when traveling to Honolulu, and the pair in question was packed in his luggage.

Rustick, who had been released on a signature bond, was pleased with the news, Luke said. Rustick is currently on Kauai.

He wanted to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI agents for their professionalism and the thoroughness of their investigation, Luke said.