Current:Home > ScamsWatch: TSA agents in Miami appear to steal passenger items; what they're accused of taking-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Watch: TSA agents in Miami appear to steal passenger items; what they're accused of taking
View Date:2025-01-11 09:45:21
New surveillance video appears to show officers with the Transportation Security Administration stealing items from passengers' bags at Miami International Airport.
Labarrius Williams, 33, Josue Gonzalez, 20, and Elizabeth Fuster, 22 were arrested on July 6 and charged with organized schemes to defraud. Fuster's charges have since been dropped, while Gonzalez and Williams also were charged with grand theft.
Court records show that Gonzalez has been accepted into a deferred prosecution program and charges against him will be dropped if he meets the conditions of the program.
Williams has pleaded not guilty and is set for a trial hearing on Oct. 23.
The new video, obtained by USA TODAY on Friday, appears to show just how the alleged scheme worked.
TSA firearm detections are on the rise:Here's what we saw at one of the airports with the most cases
Video shows sleight of hand with wallet
As passenger belongings sit in bins on a conveyor belt, Gonzalez and Williams appear to pocket several items, including cash, according to the video, released by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office.
One clip shows Gonzalez sliding his hand into a purse, grabbing something and moving it behind a larger object in the bin, apparently out of view of passengers. Gonzalez appears to remove cash from what looks like a wallet.
The men took as much as $600 from a wallet, according to the arrest affidavit, which says that Gonzalez, Williams and Fuster conspired to steal on multiple other occasions.
Gonzalez and Fuster admitted to stealing $1,000 per day
In a formal interview at TSA Command Center, Gonzalez and Fuster waived their right to remain silent and gave written statements confessing to being involved in various thefts, according to arrest affidavits. They admitted to stealing an average of about $1,000 a day while they worked together.
Williams did not waive his rights and refused to speak with investigators, the affidavits said.
None of their attorneys immediately responded to messages seeking comment from USA TODAY on Friday.
“The Transportation Security Administration holds its Transportation Security Officers to the highest professional and ethical standards and has no tolerance for misconduct in the workplace,” the TSA told USA TODAY in an emailed statement. “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.”
TSA removed the officers from their screening duties pending the conclusion of the investigation and administrative actions.
A Miami International Airport spokesperson declined to comment.
Just in case:10 things to keep in your carry-on in case of flight cancellation or delay
veryGood! (86616)
Related
- Olivia Munn Says She “Barely Knew” John Mulaney When She Got Pregnant With Their Son
- The inauguration of Javier Milei has Argentina wondering what kind of president it will get
- Opinion: Norman Lear shocked, thrilled, and stirred television viewers
- Tibetans in exile accuse China of destroying their identity in Tibet under its rule
- Smithfield agrees to pay $2 million to resolve child labor allegations at Minnesota meat plant
- Technology built the cashless society. Advances are helping the unhoused so they’re not left behind
- How the Mary Kay Letourneau Scandal Inspired the Film May December
- Amazon says scammers stole millions through phony product returns
- Black, red or dead: How Omaha became a hub for black squirrel scholarship
- Ryan O'Neal, star of Love Story and Paper Moon, is dead at 82
Ranking
- Powell says Fed will likely cut rates cautiously given persistent inflation pressures
- Denmark, a Global Climate Policy Leader, Strains to Live Up to High Ambitions
- The Secrets of Marlo Thomas and Phil Donahue's Loving, Lusty Marriage
- The inauguration of Javier Milei has Argentina wondering what kind of president it will get
- Worker trapped under rubble after construction accident in Kentucky
- Anthony Davis leads Lakers to NBA In-Season Tournament title, 123-109 over Pacers
- Oklahoma City voters consider 1% sales tax to build a $1 billion arena for NBA’s Thunder
- Agriculture gets its day at COP28, but experts see big barriers to cutting emissions
Recommendation
-
Supreme Court seems likely to allow class action to proceed against tech company Nvidia
-
Hundreds of Georgians march in support of country’s candidacy for European Union membership
-
The Dodgers gave Shohei Ohtani $700 million to hit and pitch — but also because he can sell
-
Brazil’s Lula takes heat on oil plans at UN climate talks, a turnaround after hero status last year
-
Federal judge orders Oakland airport to stop using ‘San Francisco’ in name amid lawsuit
-
A Swede jailed in Iran on spying charges get his first hearing in a Tehran court
-
The inauguration of Javier Milei has Argentina wondering what kind of president it will get
-
China is hardening against dissent, rights groups say as they mark International Human Rights Day