TSA Agent Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Cash From Passenger's Bag
When you go through security at the airport, there's enough commotion in the process to worry about — between speeding through so you're not holding up the line to making sure you don't leave anything behind. But, one thing you're probably not used to worrying about is having a TSA agent try to steal from you.
Alexander Shae Johnson, a 22-year-old TSA agent at Orlando International Airport (MCO), was arrested Thursday after he was caught on video stealing cash from a passenger's bag. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Johnson had only been with the TSA for a couple of months, but following the incident, he was arrested and charged with third-degree felony grand theft — and is no longer a TSA employee.
After the passenger, Kathleen Duddleston, went through the screening procedure, she was required to go through additional screening in the form of a pat-down search. While she was getting searched, she noticed Johnson standing close to her bag. Once her additional screening was over, she went to collect her bag and saw that the cash that was inside was missing.
It was then that she noticed a bulge in Johnson's shirt pocket — one that turned out to be the missing cash. When asked, Johnson said the cash was his but upon further investigation, the video proved that the money was indeed Duddleston's.
"TSA has a zero tolerance [policy] for misconduct in the workplace," said TSA spokeswoman Sari Koshetz. "The TSA immediately reported the allegation to OPD and we aggressively investigated the incident with our law enforcement partner." Since the incident, Johnson was reportedly taken to the Orange County Jail but was released after posting bail.
The incident serves as a reminder for all passengers — whether you have TSA PreCheck or not — to keep an eye on your bags at all times.
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