TSA Screener Helped Himself To $200,000 Worth Of Your Stuff
Meet Pythias Brown. Until recently, he was a TSA screener at Newark airport, and if you're missing any pricey electronics, you might have Mr. Brown to thank for it. He's accused of stealing more than $200,000 worth of electronics, including a $47,000 camera from HBO. Oddly, it was CNN that helped bust the "one man crimewave" when an employee noticed some of their equipment being sold on eBay.
As you can see from the above screen grab, Mr. Brown, like so many other eBay thieves, practiced excellent customer service. His customers claimed to be "in love" with him, thanks to his prompt delivery and "good communication." One customer remarked that the camera he bought was missing its instructions. Guess the owner didn't pack them.
Mr. Brown's bail has been set at $100,000. He faces 10 years in prison if convicted. The TSA is reportedly taking the matter "seriously."
Bail set at $100,000 for airport baggage screener [Newsday]
TSA agent helped himself to a $47,900 camera (and more!) [Gadling] (Thanks, Geoffrey!)
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Comments:
it figures i wonder if he has any macbook airs
Well this certainly is NOT surprising. Who would have thought... keeping your valuables locked to everybody BUT the TSA might still allow them to be stolen!
Yeah, but the TSA is very good at stopping you from bringing a Snapple on your flight.
Why should this incident decrease our confidence in the TSA? After all, it's not their job to prevent stealing. It's their job to prevent, um, what's their job again?
Maybe someone in the DoJ will notice the Bush Administration auctioning our rights, freedoms, and economy on Ebay.
Sadly, this doesn't surprise me at all.
How do you go through security, unload you laptop, go through the metal detector (secretly hope to get patted down - oh, did I say that out loud?), and then 'forget' to repack your valuable electronics? I blame the customer.
@TheBusDriver: And next time I will read the article first.....he was working behind the check-in counter...not the gate screener. Never mind. (but I do like getting frisked...)
I would be surprised if they were paid more than 10 bucks an hour. You get what you pay for.
How did no one (including his co-workers) at the airlines notice him walking out with laptops or movie cameras? Maybe it's time to screen the screeners.
Reason #4725 not to put yourself through the Gestapo circus at the airports.
Wasn't it the TSA that said "Our employees don't take things from your baggage"? (which we all know is BS)
I thought there was a post here this year that had that quip in it...
How did no one notice? Because all his co-workers were too loaded up with their own hauls. It will be time to "screen the screeners" when one of them allows a bomb on a flight. It's hard to believe this hasn't happened already. That's what you get when you hire a bunch of 7-11 rejects to keep us "secure."
But then who screens the screener's screeners? IMO, there were a lot of people either in on the scam or just didn't care.
Like the government hasn't helped itself to enough of our stuff!
(Woo, saw this yesterday afternoon and sent in this tip!)
This new New Jersey were talking about, you could taxi a DC-9 home and everybody would swear they didn't see nothing.
@zentex: one day i'll learn to research BEFORE I post.
"...the TSA will invariably deny your request for compensation if you file a theft claim..."
Yeah...a couple of years ago I lost my first iPod nano somewhere between Gatwick and Newark. I doubt it unzipped my suitcase, climbed out onto the wing, and parachuted to safety over Greenland.
@whatdoyoucare: i totally agree. my parents are in the watch manufacturing business, and we had about 1000 watch samples (read: not working, just dummy samples), of various materials weighing a total of about 80 pounds stolen while flying from Chicago O'Hare to Miami. No one has a clue where they went... but *someone* managed to walk out with all of that without being noticed?? really??
(btw.. they only took the watches... they sent an empty suitcase on the plane to miami to my parents..and this was on United)
@TheBusDriver: LOL. I give you credit for correcting yourself. Is that a Consumerist first?
Kudos to you, sir.
I heard they are stealing the terrorist's stuff, too. WTF.
Yup, the TSA denies claims, denies any significant amount of theft occurs, and will no doubt describe this man as an "isolated incident".
It's obvious that he was working in collusion with others and others are doing the same thing.
How sad that yet another government agency, designed to protect us, is so inadequate that they cannot even manage themselves. And despite the outcry of thousands of travelers who have reported thefts, an outside force (bless you CNN) had to uncover this blatant level of criminal activity.
Perhaps our next President will acknowledge what everyone in the airline industry and most frequent travelers know - that TSA is largely security theater. With our economy in free-fall, perhaps our precious tax dollars can be spent in a more effective way of actually deterring terrorism.
No, we get what the government/airlines pay for. The people setting wages aren't getting their stuff stolen, the common people traveling are.
Guys, you don't understand how this is keeping us safe.
The theory here goes something like this:
TSA workers steal all electronics from checked baggage.
Bombs are electronics.
TSA workers will steal the bombs meant for the plane while stealing the other goodies.
TSA worker takes iPod, cameras, laptops and bombs home.
TSA worker blows up.
TSA worker < plane full of travellers.
These are the real heroes people!
Nothing new here. I used to work at JFK Airport in the early 90s, mostly in baggage. We'd go through the lost bags and remove electronics to lock up for safekeeping. Many times those electronics didn't make it to the storage bin. It was an open secret you could give the ramp guys a shopping list and expect to get your goods.
TSA stole my wife's camera. She shouldn't have packed the camera in checked luggage but regardless, it's not right. I filed a claim with them and it was promptly denied.
My mom's luggage disappeared when she flew into Newark last December. I don't think she had anything of value in it, though. (I actually think someone just stole it off the luggage carousel because it was a pretty nondescript bag.)
Either way, if you fly enough you're sure to get something stolen.
@SkokieGuy: You would think but likely they won't do a thing about it as it isn't high enough on the priority scale to drop whatever it is they are essentially not doing to do anything about this.
I flew for the first time in 15 years two weeks ago. It wasn't an awful experience by any means - I believe I was coming and going during off-peak times so I was able to get "in and out" just fine. The TSA folks didn't seem to worried about me or my belongings, and I had my baggage checked. (Which now I understand why people don't enjoy that after seeing how rough my baggage looked after I picked it up from baggage claim) It will be a good long while (4-6 months depending on my employer) before I venture out by plane again. Next time, I'm doing the carry-on thing and buying things at the local Walgreens that I cannot carry on.
wait... his bail is only half the amount of his stolen goods? that doesn't seem correct...
Somebody in Newark stole something? Get the hell out of here!!
The thief should have his next proctology exam done with a hot poker.
@saury316: Dude, it would be awesome to watch them try to get those samples working. Or even better if they eBayed them without testing 'em and got F'd in the A by Paypal.
@twophrasebark: their job is to prevent the stupid from being fearful. and they don't even do that particularly effectively.
I hate to sound smarmy, but why, in this day and age, would people still be packing expensive electronics in their luggage? If I can't fit in in my carry on, I don't take it. I guess they are more trusting than I am : )
So... let me get this straight.
He steals $200,000...
Gets caught.
Bail is set at $100,000.
So.... if he skips bail, he's still $100K ahead?
It absolutely kills me that TSA doesn't police themselves at all. My mom had 3 bottles of medicines stolen out of her luggage between PIT and SJC. Luckily she had enough spares in a case in her purse to get her through the visit, but it could have been life threatening. TSA of course, denied everything and was unwilling to help. You'd think all of these 'isolated incidents' would start to form a pattern.
@JeffMc: I would like to nominate this comment for "winner of the thread."
Also, this brings up a potential strategy for keeping your iPod safe: pack it full of plastique!
Liability statement: The above suggestion is satirical humor and should not be acted upon.
@narcolepticdoc: actually, i think you only need 10% (+ the juice) for a bail bond, so in actuality, he'd be $190k ahead if he skips off.
of course, he'd forever be chased by mulleted men & their wackadoo wives.
They wouldn't care if they noticed, they're appointed by Bush and told to look the other way.
What happens to all the people that bought the stolen goods? I mean... Ebay has all their information, right? Do they have to give it back?
@INsano:
Yup, I avoid flying through the US at all costs now. It's not worth it anymore and there are plenty of international airlines that provide a basic level of something resembling service.
I was in Denver, and was rushed through security. As I was putting my boots on, I noticed they did not give me a large gold bracelet my grandmother left to me. I had to ask for it back. Well, I had not told anyone off like that in a long long time.
@The_Red_Monkey: A hell of a lot of people out in the real world don't get paid more than $10 an hour. How does that excuse them from having to obey the same laws everybody else does?
Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
This has become a forgotten phrase these last eight years. No, I don't blame Mr. Bush for some low-life thief, but it's just one symptom of the disease.
A theif is a theif is a theif. Doesn't matter if they make min wage or make 500K a year.
There are theifs in almost every type of job on this planet. This does not surpise me one bit this happened, nobody should be shocked by this and just because he worked for the TSA means nothing.
Some of our most trusted officials in Gov. have lied and stolen from us. 200K is chump change.
I think since this isn't the first or last case of ramapant theft, these TSA people and baggage handlers for that matter, need to be patted down before entering work, inventory of personal items and carried items made, signed, and then patted down and everything checked when finishing work for the day. If there's more than what was there earlier, like suddenly an ipod or laptop, off they go to jail and the owners of the stolen items located. And just so the TSA isn't covering their own butts and conducting their own patdowns, I think the police should be doing it.
@angelcake88: If the TSA actually represented some sort of security force they would already have procedures like this in place to avoid an inside job. Avoiding theft would be a bonus.
Unfortunately they're just there to put on one big, obnoxious show. Federal rent-a-cops.
So, getting ripped off by the airlines AND security. Mmm... Jail time.