QUEENS—A Rosedale man who works for Jet Blue at John F. Kennedy Airport has been charged with gun possession for allegedly stealing a 9mm handgun that had been stored in a locked gun box and checked by a police officer before she boarded a flight to Orlando, Fla.

Tamarcus Hines, 21, of 240-34 Weller Ave., Rosedale, Queens, was arrested Thursday, charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and fourth-degree criminal mischief. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 15 years in prison.

"It is upsetting that a passenger who buys an airline ticket and lawfully checks her luggage – in this case a secured, legally possessed handgun – has been subjected to having her belongings stolen", Queens district attorney Richard A. Brown said. "This case is, however, especially egregious in that the defendant is alleged to have brazenly stolen a 9mm....