Surveillance footage from Miami International Airport captures two Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers rummaging through passengers’ luggage and allegedly stealing items including money.
The Florida State Attorney’s Office released the CCTV footage Monday, according to Yahoo! News. The two TSA officials, identified as Labarrius Williams and Joaue Gonzalez, were previously arrested in July, local outlet WSVN reported. A co-worker of the two, Elizabeth Fuster, was also arrested on charges of being a part of an organized scheme to defraud, according to the New York Post.
The incident took place at the baggage drop-off section of a security checkpoint at the airport, according to the released footage. The duo appeared to target cash in wallets and purses in the baggage trays that were on their way into the X-ray machine, according to the NY Post.
The alleged thefts had been going on for months, investigators told WSVN. The two TSA officers reportedly stole $600 in cash in one incident alone. Fuster and Gonzalez previously confessed to carrying out multiple thefts from unsuspecting travelers, the NY Post reported in a separate article. The two said they would haul in $1,000 daily, according to the outlet.
Newly released video from Miami International Airport captured two Transportation Security Administration officers going through passenger’s belongings. https://t.co/oZwapurv5a
— WSVN 7 News (@wsvn) September 13, 2023
The charge against Fuster was dropped back in August, while Gonzalez and Williams each pleaded not guilty to a third-degree felony charge, the NY Post reported, citing Miami-Dade court records. Gonzalez’s charge could potentially be dropped should he complete a deferred prosecution program. He was also ordered to pay $700 to the victims and complete 25 hours of community service, according to the NY Post.
“If I do carry cash in my purse, it has to go through, you know, the TSA, so I’ll definitely be a little bit more cognizant,” said one Miami International Airport traveller who passed through the same terminal where the alleged thefts took place, according to WSVN.