A 36-year-old Honolulu man who allegedly tried to frame a romantic rival as a bomb-toting terrorist, prompting the evacuation of a trans-Pacific flight to Los Angeles, was arrested by federal agents yesterday.

Jose Sergio Medrano Gutierrez, 36, was arrested and charged with conveying false information about a possible terrorist attack, according to an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court. If convicted of making false statements, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a $10,000 fine.

At 10:53 a.m. on Dec. 14, Gutierrez allegedly told a Honolulu 911 operator that a man named Alfonso Garcia used a false or stolen driver's license, under the name Jorge Vasquez, and boarded a flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles with a suitcase filled with explosives.

The 911 operator passed the names along to federal agents, who checked them against the manifests from flights departing Honolulu for Los Angeles. Alfonso Garcia was found aboard ATA Airlines flight 4754 as it sat at the gate.

Agents with the FBI, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service removed Garcia and his luggage from the flight and had the plane moved to another gate, according to court documents.

All passengers on the flight were removed with their luggage and rechecked through security before the flight departed hours later.

Passengers were not alerted to the threat of a possible explosive on board.

Officials with the Transportation Security Administration searched Garcia's luggage and found nothing. In the process, Garcia told agents that he was in the country illegally and was flying to see his wife, Kara Manichan, in Los Angeles, the criminal complaint said.

Agents played the 911 tape for Garcia, and Garcia identified the caller as Gutierrez, who runs an automobile repair business in Wai'anae, the complaint said. Garcia told agents that he and Gutierrez had "personal differences."

Agents tracked down co-workers of Gutierrez at the Kahala Hotel, including a current and former girlfriend, who were able to identify Gutierrez's voice, the FBI said.

One of Gutierrez's girlfriends led agents to his brother, who told FBI agents that Jose Gutierrez admitted making the call, the criminal complaint said.

Agents confronted Jose Gutierrez on Monday and he told agents that he made the call, saying, "he was angry at Garcia and was attempting to keep Garcia away from Manichan and her children," according to court documents.

Gutierrez allegedly was involved with Manichan.

The case was investigated by the state's Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes Honolulu police, FBI agents, the federal Air Marshals, the U.S. Secret Service, Customs and Border Protection, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.