Travel News

TSA Sticky Fingers: The Worst Incidents of Theft at Security

Locations in this article:  Miami, FL

The spotlight has been on the TSA this week after a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) logged 9,600 cases of reported TSA officer misconduct. While most infractions involve complaints related to attendance and improper screening, theft is also an issue.

A separate report found that more than 380 TSA officers were fired for theft between 2003 and 2012. So what were they stealing? Check out this slideshow and think twice before you travel with iPads, laptops, expensive watches and significant amounts of cash.

Scanning for Valuables


In 2011, Pythias Brown, a TSA agent was convicted of stealing more than $800,000 worth of goods from travelers.  Over the course of 4 years, he used X-ray scanners to find valuable items and stole everything: laptops, cameras, gaming consoles, clothes, and cash.  He said this type of theft is “commonplace” among airport security.

Former Florida TSA agent Nelson Santiago stole at least $50,000 worth of computers, cameras and other electronics and sold them online. In July 2011, he was caught by a Continental employee who saw him stealing an iPad and putting it in his pants.

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