Hawaii TSA worker arrested for stealing cash from travelers

Dawn Nikole Keka, a TSA screener in Kona, was arrested after a sting in which she was caught stealing cash from an undercover agent.

After the backpack went through the X-ray machine, the TSA said, Keka searched it with her back to the agent, discarded a bottle of liquid from the backpack and asked the “tourist” whether she is Japanese. The undercover agent nodded yes.

Keka then put the backpack through the X-ray machine a second time. A special agent with the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General said he saw Keka walk to the middle of the screening area and lean against a wall near the X-ray machine.
When the undercover agent got the backpack, she discovered two $100 bills missing from the wallet.

TSA agents arrested Keka and found the two missing bills crumpled in her right back pocket. They also found four other crumpled bills in her front pocket: two $100s, a $20 and a $10.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20110316_Isle_TSA_worker_arrested_in_theft_of_cash_from_travelers.html

Two TSA agents busted for stealing $40,000 at JFK

Two TSA agents were busted for stealing $40,000 from passengers at JFK. The money was discovered during checked baggage X-ray.

Coumar allegedly X-rayed a piece of baggage bound for Argentina on January 30 and spotted a bag of money, according to a criminal complaint. He called Webb, who was assigned to a baggage belt area for American Airlines in building 56 at JFK and alerted him about the bag with the money, indicating that it probably belonged to a drug dealer, prosecutors said.

Webb searched the bag, found the cash, and marked the bag with tape. He called Coumar and confirmed the cash was inside. The men then met in the baggage area, found the bag wrapped in tape, and “observed what appeared to be approximately $170,000 in the bag,” the complaint states.

Coumar allegedly grabbed $40,000 in cash, stuffed the money into his clothing and met Webb in an airport bathroom where they divvied up the proceeds of the swiped loot.

http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/02/17/tsa-agents-busted-for-stealing-from-passengers-at-jfk/

TSA agent pleads guilty to stealing from passengers in Newark

Michael Arato admitted to taking bribes to ignore theft by a subordinate. He took $3,100 in kickbacks for letting the employee steal between $10,000 and $30,000. They preyed on Indian women who couldn’t speak English.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/14/us-airport-bribes-idUSTRE71D72V20110214

TSA agent gets probation after stealing laptops from passengers

Troy Davis stole five laptops and a Sony Playstation from travelers in Philadelphia. He got 3 years probation.

“He put the luggage through special machines to see whether there was any explosives or anything of concern in the luggage,” she told KYW Newsradio.  “When he saw that there was something of value in the luggage, he took out the computers or the games.”

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2010/12/17/tsa-worker-avoids-prison-after-stealing-travelers-laptops/

Screener arrested for stealing painkillers from passenger

Christopher Burley, a screener in Little Rock, is alleged to have stolen painkillers from a passenger’s medicine bottle.

When a female passenger noticed painkillers missing from her purse after going through a security checkpoint, an investigation was prompted. Later, a TSA official found the missing pills they say Burley tried to hide.

According to employees at the airport, it was all caught on camera, too.

http://www.fox16.com/mostpopular/story/TSA-screener-arrested-for-drug-theft-at-Little/oMbCSazQZkOUkvmyCKn03Q.cspx