Admitted Airplane Hoax Caller Out Of Job; Roommate Speaks Out - Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29

Kenneth Smith Jr. arrived home with the woman at the center of his troubles.

They didn't want to talk about his confession in federal court to using a Port Richmond payphone to call in a fake bomb threat on board a US Airways flight Thursday.

But his roommate didn't hold back.

"With Sept. 11th, the anniversary coming up, I literally was blown away by the stupidity of it," said Chris Walker, Smith's roommate.

The stupid prank was Smith's attempt to exact revenge against his girlfriend's ex, Chris Shell, who was on the flight.

Attorneys say Shell posted a "compromising picture" of the girl on Facebook, describing them as the kind of photos that would incense a boyfriend.

Smith was mad alright.

To pay Shell back, he told airport police Shell was carrying liquid explosives on board the flight to Dallas.

That forced the pilots to turn around over Harrisburg and return to Philly International.

Armed SWAY team members took Shell off the plane but released the 29-year-old after finding nothing dangerous.

The roommate says this isn't the first time Smith has had girl problems, saying he thinks he was engaged at one point a few months back when he lived with a girl in New Jersey and apparently had problems with that particular relationship.

According to smith's attorney, the 26-year-old Port Richmond man doesn't have a criminal record and works 60-plus hours a week as a chef at this pizzeria around the corner from his Port Richmond home.

Smith was supposed to be working Friday night, but after phoning in Thursday's hoax the owner says Smith might want to use a phone to find another job.