Current:Home > MarketsWatch: TSA agents in Miami appear to steal passenger items; what they're accused of taking -MoneySpot
Watch: TSA agents in Miami appear to steal passenger items; what they're accused of taking
View
Date:2025-04-16 16:22:05
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! (431)
Related
- New Mexico governor seeks funding to recycle fracking water, expand preschool, treat mental health
- New vehicles from Detroit’s automakers are planned in contracts that ended UAW strikes
- Defeat of Florida increases buyout of Arkansas coach Sam Pittman by more than $5 million
- Below Deck's Captain Jason Shares Update on 2 Fired Crewmembers After Sexual Misconduct Scandal
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Tens of thousands of ancient coins have been found off Sardinia. They may be spoils of a shipwreck
- Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom's Daughter Daisy Dove Is in Full Bloom at Her First Public Appearance
- RHONY’s Brynn Whitfield Breaks BravoCon Escalator After Both High Heels Get Stuck
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- 'Wait Wait' for November 4, 2023: With Not My Job guest Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant
Ranking
- Newly elected West Virginia lawmaker arrested and accused of making terroristic threats
- Joro spiders are an invasive species known for parachuting through the air. Here's why you shouldn't fear them.
- WWE Crown Jewel takeaways: Kairi Sane has big return, while Solo Sikoa and LA Knight shine
- Phoenix finishes clearing downtown homeless encampment after finding shelter for more than 500
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Anthropologie Is Offering an Extra 40% Off Their Sale Section Right Now and We Can’t Get Enough Of It
- Forever Missing Matthew Perry: Here Are the Best Chandler Bing Episodes of Friends
- Tens of thousands of ancient coins have been found off Sardinia. They may be spoils of a shipwreck
Recommendation
'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
The Rockin' Meaning Behind Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian’s Baby Name Revealed
Virginia school board elections face a pivotal moment as a cozy corner of democracy turns toxic
Over 4,000 baby loungers sold on Amazon recalled over suffocation, entrapment concerns
Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
A science experiment in the sky attempts to unravel the mysteries of contrails
Some houses are being built to stand up to hurricanes and sharply cut emissions, too
The Israel-Hamas war has not quashed their compassion, their empathy, their hope