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TSA agent arrested in latest theft allegation

By Chris Hawley

Associated Press

POSTED: 11:08 a.m. HST, Feb 02, 2012
LAST UPDATED: 11:09 a.m. HST, Feb 02, 2012

NEW YORK >> A Transportation Security Administration agent stole $5,000 in cash from a passenger's jacket as he was going through security at John F. Kennedy International Airport, authorities said Thursday, the latest in a string of thefts that has embarrassed the agency.

Alexandra Schmid took the cash from a Bangladeshi passenger's jacket as it went along an X-ray conveyor belt Wednesday night in Terminal 4, said Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's police force.

Surveillance video showed Schmid taking the money from a jacket pocket, wrapping the cash in a plastic glove and taking it to a bathroom, Della Fave said.

The money hasn't been recovered, he said. Police are investigating whether Schmid gave it to another person in the bathroom.

The 31-year-old Schmid was arrested on a charge of grand larceny and suspended pending an investigation. Her attorney's name wasn't immediately known.

Schmid, who lived in Brooklyn, had worked for the TSA for 4½ years, TSA spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein said.

"We do hold our officers to very high standards, and we have a zero tolerance policy for theft in the workplace," Farbstein said.

Wednesday's arrest came the same day that a federal judge sentenced former TSA screener Ricky German to eight months in prison for trying to steal a laptop from a passenger at the Memphis airport in December 2010. German was convicted of theft by a government employee, depriving a citizen of his rights and making false statements.

The cases are part of a series of recent theft allegations against TSA employees:

— Last month, an agent who worked searching checked luggage at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was suspended after the owner of a stolen iPad used the tracking feature on the device to locate it at the agent's home. Police found seven other iPads there.

—On Jan. 10, former TSA agent Paul Yashou pleaded guilty to stealing a $15,000 watch from a passenger's belongings at Los Angeles International Airport in May. He is awaiting sentencing.

— Two other former TSA agents at JFK were sentenced on Jan. 10 to six months in jail and five years' probation for stealing $40,000 from a piece of luggage in January 2011. The agents, Coumar Persad and Davon Webb, had pleaded guilty to grand larceny, obstructing governmental administration and official misconduct.

— Also in January, authorities charged an agent at Miami International Airport with swiping items and luggage and smuggling them out of the airport in a hidden pocket of his work jacket. He was arrested after one of the items, an iPad, was spotted for sale on Craigslist. Another TSA employee was arrested in July at nearby Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after an airline employee reported that the man slipped an iPad into his pants.

— In December, police charged a TSA screener at New York's LaGuardia Airport with lifting a laptop after a Detroit-bound passenger left it behind at the security station.

— Earlier last year, a TSA supervisor and one of his officers pleaded guilty in a scheme that lifted $10,000 to $30,000 from passengers' belongings at Newark Liberty International Airport. A federal judge sentenced the supervisor, Michael Arato, to 2½ years in prison and his subordinate, Al Raimi, to six months of home confinement.

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Roxanngirl wrote:

Really, we need to watch them more than they watch us!

on February 2,2012 | 10:45AM

1local wrote:

contract the TSA to a private - Non-Union/ government company...

on February 2,2012 | 03:16PM

hawaiikone wrote:

Considering that TSA has done nothing for us except add another burden to our budget, can we seriously begin to consider getting rid of them? Logically, we still need a degree of security screening, so lets return it to the private sector.

on February 2,2012 | 11:54AM

Waimanalodayz1 wrote:

I've been ripped off twice both in Honolulu airport.The first time was about twenty years ago so I tried to file a complaint when I got to San Francisco and They tried to keep Me from doing it. They said the FBI will investigate You so You don't file. The second time was two years ago with TSA, I caught it and made a fuss and They thretened Me with being put on the no fly list. All in Honolulu Airport. I still filled out all the paper work and found out it only goes to the top TSA manager. I already talked to Him so it was a waste of time.

on February 2,2012 | 01:00PM

BigBird001 wrote:

Let's not forget the woman who was arrested in Hawaii after stealing cash from Japanese tourists. Geez, TSA is only good for screening who has goodies to steal. Then they steal. They'll Steal from Anyone.

on February 2,2012 | 01:24PM

allie wrote:

TSA is more of a threat than the Israeli agents

on February 2,2012 | 02:06PM

kainalu wrote:

Lihue, Kauai. Can't complain enough about the TSA operation at Lihue, Kauai. As small as that airport is, and in the larger scheme of things, minimal traffic all things considering, why does it take longer to get through that check-point than anyother check-point I've been in to include LAX, JFK, and LAS? Whoever is managing the check-point at Lihue, Kauai - wake up and check it out.

on February 2,2012 | 02:17PM

cojef wrote:

The position as a screener offers ample opportunity to lght fingered individuals to enrich themselves. The payscale for these screeners is very low, so the standard for the caliber of individuals is equally low. Thus the thefts. Set higher standards for the job and screen the applicants better. Surveilance cameras placed at strategics work sites also could help take away the enticements to steal.

on February 2,2012 | 02:23PM

cojef wrote:

You can many more thieves using surveilance cameras and then screen the tapes at slow motion. Light fingered individuals are slick and the theft cannot be detacted just with your visual observations. When playback tapes are run in slow motion the slick move will be revealed.. This how we arrested an open-verfier at the international postal mail arrival station, who was stealing gemstone and jewelry sent in 1st class mail, internationally.

on February 2,2012 | 02:32PM

Ambergris23 wrote:

All the Christmas gifts my daughter carefully wrapped and placed in her bag were destroyed, broken, and not rewrapped correctly this year. It was so sad to see beautiful gifts and even a phonograph broken. TSA agents need to be held accountable for the damage they do!!! Also, last year cigarettes were stolen out of our bags. Yes, it's a very small item, but it's still a theft. TSA agents should be videotaped and when damage is done, the video should be played to see if the passengers should be refunded due to the sloppy, shoddy work of the TSA agents. They are not held accountable for their disdain and mistreatment of people's property....and what's worse, they are getting paid a lot to do this!

on February 2,2012 | 11:07PM

BIG wrote:

I agree they are not held accountable

on February 3,2012 | 07:39AM

peanutgallery wrote:

Just another Government employee union gone out of control. Vote Democrat, it sure beats working for a living.

on February 3,2012 | 03:33AM

false wrote:

Didn't Bush start TSA. It's proven itself and now we can say do we need this? Machines can do the job and alarm. If it alarms, then have one or two people check it out. Done.

on February 3,2012 | 04:28AM

Christopher_murp wrote:

Yes, Bush started TSA. However, he also initially wanted it to be only temporarily staffed by government employees until they got it all worked out, then return it to the private sector. The Democrat controlled congress didn't like that and made it so they wouldn't be changed back to private companies. Then, a couple years ago, someone had the bright idea that TSA needed to be union represented. People need to pay attention to who is voted in to office. If you don't like the way things are going/have been going, help get someone else elected and then hold them accountable for fixing these things.

on February 3,2012 | 04:43AM

BIG wrote:

give me a break

on February 3,2012 | 07:40AM

kainalu wrote:

Hog wash. I don't mind that you chew horse poo, it's the spitting it back in our faces that's offensive.

on February 3,2012 | 10:18AM

alawai9th wrote:

It is bad enough that Osama Bin Laden stole our civil liberties and wrecked lives, now we have our own people in the form of TSA taking advantage of it.

on February 3,2012 | 07:08AM

cojef wrote:

Vultures using the law to steal from the public.

on February 3,2012 | 08:47AM

olos73 wrote:

They should be made to wear outfits where there are no pockets they can put objects into. Also, make THEM go through detectors when they go on breaks, lunch, off shift.

on February 3,2012 | 12:32PM

BO0o07 wrote:

Excellent suggestion. Also, fitness should be another requirement. They don't have to be fit like candidates for the military, HPD or HFD but fit enough to wear uniforms that normally would fit smartly on a person of their age, sex, height and weight. A human relations class should be mandatory during initial training of all new TSA agents. For those already on board, a refresher course is definitely required if they haven't already had some type of human relations training. Not all but a few TSA agents have a "superior than you" attitude. Most people won't complain during the screening process by TSA because it could jeopardize boarding their flight on time. TSA know you don't want to miss your flight and probably don't care if you like or dislike their attitude.The bottom line is, TSA is there to serve you (taxpayer) and without you, TSA would not be funded.

on February 3,2012 | 03:33PM