New video footage allegedly shows TSA agents working together to steal belongings from bags as they went through security at Miami International Airport.
A surveillance video, released by the Florida State Attorney’s Office, appears to show security screeners unzipping bags and pocketing items belonging to passengers before sending them through the CT scanner.
Three agents – Labarrius Williams, 33, Josue Gonzalez, 20 and Elizabeth Fuster, 22 – were all arrested back in July.
However, it is believed that charges have been dropped against Ms Fuster and she has been released, according to CBS.
In the surveillance video from 29 July, there is almost 20 minutes of footage that purportedly shows Mr Williams and Mr Gonzales stealing items from bags.
In one clip, an agent opens up a small pocket at the front of a bag on the conveyor belt. He slips out a wallet and then continues to stay with the bag right until he pushes it through the CT scanner, then puts his hands in his pocket.
In another clip, you can see the two agents focusing on one corner of one of the security trays before one of the agents puts an item into his pocket
According to an arrest report, Miami International Airport’s federal security director contacted Miami-Dade Police about ongoing thefts at the security checkpoint in Concourse E.
One TSA agent was caught slipping a wallet out a passenger’s bag
(WPLG/YouTube)
“I think they have a lot of nerve because don’t they realize they’re on camera?” passenger David Caban told CBS News. “These are places that are monitored so much. What are they thinking?”
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According to a police report obtained by CBS, the pair is accused of “…removing $600 from a passenger’s wallet, while the passenger was in the screening process…”
The report said they would “…distract passengers as they were being screened to steal monies from their belongings…”
In a statement on the stealing at the airport to CBS, TSA said, “TSA has removed the officers from screening duties pending completion of the investigation and administrative actions,” the statement read.
“The Transportation Security Administration holds its Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) to the highest professional and ethical standards and has no tolerance for misconduct in the workplace,” the statement read. “We actively and aggressively investigated these allegations of misconduct and presented our findings to the Miami Dade Police Department, and are working closely with them. Any employee who fails to meet our fundamental ethical standards is held accountable.”
All three were hit with charges of organised scheme to defraud, yet Ms Fulster’s charges were later dropped.