DETROIT -- Federal authorities have charged Detroit Police Chief Jerry Oliver with failing to declare a loaded pistol stowed in his checked baggage.

CHIEF OLIVER'S GUN Chief Says He's Authorized To Carry Weapon Do You Think Chief Oliver's Fine Was Fair?

He'll be fined between $300 and $1,000 by the Transportation Security Administration.

Oliver was notified last week of the TSA's decision to charge him with a civil infraction. Deputy Chief Tara Dunlop said he will pay the fine.

Wayne County prosecutors are debating whether Oliver should face criminal charges over the Oct. 18 incident.

The Transportation Safety Administration found the weapon in Oliver's checked luggage, confiscated it and then turned it over to airport police, according to Local 4 reports. Oliver was paged and asked if it was his weapon, according to Local 4. He said it was and was told he needed to sign some papers.

According to reports, Oliver said he was worried about missing his flight, so he left the gun behind. He was allowed to continue on his flight to Philadelphia.

Oliver is apparently not a certified police officer in the state of Michigan, according to the station's reports. The Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards told Local 4 that Oliver has applied for certification, but it has not yet been approved.

Without certification, under state law, Oliver would need a permit to carry a weapon. A spokesman for the Wayne County Gun Board told Local 4 that Oliver has never applied for a permit to carry a gun.

Oliver reportedly said he carries a small, .22-caliber automatic handgun every day. Local 4 learned that's an apparent violation of departmental regulations, which state that officers are supposed to carry at least a .38- or larger-caliber weapon.