Current:Home > InvestNovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:Watch: TSA agents in Miami appear to steal passenger items; what they're accused of taking -Infinite Edge Learning
NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:Watch: TSA agents in Miami appear to steal passenger items; what they're accused of taking
Rekubit Exchange View
Date:2025-04-10 21:07:43
New surveillance video appears to show officers with the Transportation Security Administration stealing items from passengers' bags at Miami International Airport.
Labarrius Williams,NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center 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! (32559)
Related
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- US government may sue PacifiCorp, a Warren Buffett utility, for nearly $1B in wildfire costs
- Jason Momoa's 584-HP electric Rolls-Royce Phantom II is all sorts of awesome
- These Versatile Black Pant Picks Will Work with Every Outfit, for Any Occasion
- The Louvre will be renovated and the 'Mona Lisa' will have her own room
- Donald Trump appeals $454 million judgment in New York civil fraud case
- A school bus driver dies in a crash near Rogersville; 2 students sustain minor injuries
- Israel plans to build thousands more West Bank settlement homes after shooting attack, official says
- Where will Elmo go? HBO moves away from 'Sesame Street'
- Virginia couple missing in Grenada and feared killed after yacht allegedly stolen by escaped criminals
Ranking
- Bodycam footage shows high
- Loretta Lynn's Granddaughter Auditions for American Idol: Here's How She Did
- Network founded by Koch brothers says it will stop spending on Nikki Haley's presidential campaign
- Beyoncé and the Houston Rodeo: What to know about the event and the singer's ties to it
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- West Virginia House passes bill to allow religious exemptions for student vaccines
- Purdue, Houston, Creighton lead winners and losers from men's college basketball weekend
- Ohio commission awards bids to frack oil and gas under state parks, wildlife areas
Recommendation
'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
15-year-old from Massachusetts arrested in shooting of Vermont woman found in a vehicle
West Virginia Senate passes bill that would remove marital exemption for sexual abuse
15-year-old from Massachusetts arrested in shooting of Vermont woman found in a vehicle
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
Sophia Grace Will Have Your Heartbeat Runnin' Away With Son River's First Birthday Party
A shooting claimed multiple lives in a tiny Alaska whaling village. Here’s what to know.
Alabama judge shot in home; son arrested and charged, authorities say