Culture of theft: Ex-TSA agent admits he took almost $1 Million from PAX luggage

ElPaso Pilot

ElPaso Pilot

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ElPaso Pilot
TSA ... once again demonstrating how they get the job done ... X-posted from the red board.

"according to the convicted officer, the problem was even more widespread than ever feared and is still going on today."

"...it had been 'very convenient to steal' he said. 'It became so easy, I got complacent.

'It was like being on drugs, it was. I was like, "What am I doing?' but the next day I was right back at it".'"

Shocking though his actions were, Brown was not alone.


http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/convi...als-secrets-thefts-airports/story?id=17339513
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...gent-reveals-epidemic-thefts-passengers.html?

A convicted TSA security officer says he was part of a "culture" of indifference that allowed corrupt employees to prey on passengers' luggage and personal belongings with impunity, thanks to lax oversight and tip-offs from TSA colleagues.

"It was very commonplace, very," said Pythias Brown, a former TSA officer at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey who admits he stole more than $800,000 worth of items from luggage and security checkpoints over a four-year period.

"It was very convenient to steal," he said.
Click to expand...
 
TSA: Totally Stupid Agency.

Defund and shutter the TSA and DHS. America will be better for it.
 
... and, published the same day, just to pile on:


US Airline Passengers Claim TSA Ignoring Their Theft Reports

(NEW YORK) — Hundreds of air passengers reacted following an ABC News investigation into theft by uniformed employees of the federal agency in charge of airport security, some saying they were victims of theft and were ignored by Transportation Security Administration officials.
Click to expand...
 
I had an incident several years ago; made report, never even a call-back.
 
We can't even trust them to keep their fingers out of the luggage to not lift a $5 whatever from someone. If they will steal $5, how do we trust them to not let a terrorist through that hands them $100? $10,000 will probably buy them 15 or 20 airliners full of passengers and related skyscrapers...

The hole in airport security isn't the lack of security, it's the security system itself that is the threat. And tomorrow at triple the operating cost, we will add more security agents to make sure the security agents aren't stealing. And next week, we'll find that the new security's security is doing the stealing and working with the first layer of thieves...

It's a circus clown act without the integrity.
 
This what happens when you get the government to do a job. No accountability, means they can do anything the want with impunity. Ridiculous. Heads should roll, but will they? Doubt it.
 
Anthony said:
This what happens when you get the government to do a job. No accountability, means they can do anything the want with impunity. Ridiculous. Heads should roll, but will they? Doubt it.
Click to expand...

Who is the real head of this agency? Janet Napolitano and her head should roll first, as an example to all would be thieves.
 
Let's say their goal is 'less than one half of one percent' being criminals. Sounds like a good goal, that a real small number right? Well, here's the math:

Honest agents > 99.5%
Criminals < 0.5%
Number of employees = 65,000

Empl * criminal(rate); 65,000 * 0.005 = 325 thieves

Many are still out there, haven't been caught yet. That is considered a 'success'.....
 
Creation of TSA was Bush's most egregious act. It should be disbanded and privatized immediately. TSA=Thousands Standing Around
 
ElPaso Pilot said:
TSA ... once again demonstrating how they get the job done ... X-posted from the red board.

"according to the convicted officer, the problem was even more widespread than ever feared and is still going on today."

"...it had been 'very convenient to steal' he said. 'It became so easy, I got complacent.

'It was like being on drugs, it was. I was like, "What am I doing?' but the next day I was right back at it".'"

Shocking though his actions were, Brown was not alone.


http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/convi...als-secrets-thefts-airports/story?id=17339513
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...gent-reveals-epidemic-thefts-passengers.html?
Click to expand...

:rolleyes2:

Greedy and stupid...
There's another clip on the ABC page: a TSA screener stole an iPad right from the belt, right in front of cameras, and took it home. what he didn't know was that it could be tracked via GPS, and it had the app installed that allows an audible alarm to be set off remotely with another iPad. Well wroth watching... :rofl:
 
One reason I never carry or check anything I can't afford to lose.

If it isn't the TSA, it is the baggage handlers.

Cheers
 
Bob Noel said:
Nope, remember, it was decided that the official name is: Terrorist Support Agency.
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For the purposes of this thread, maybe Theft Support Agency would be more apt.

Also, They Steal Anything.
 
Anthony said:
This what happens when you get the government to do a job. No accountability, means they can do anything the want with impunity. Ridiculous. Heads should roll, but will they? Doubt it.
Click to expand...

Really? So US military soldiers are thieves too? Cops, judges, teachers and firemen too? What else could you mean by "this is what happens when you get the government to do a job"?


P.S. I can't believe you got me defending the TSA. Grrrrrrrrr
 
Captain said:
Really? So US military soldiers are thieves too? Cops, judges, teachers and firemen too? What else could you mean by "this is what happens when you get the government to do a job"?


P.S. I can't believe you got me defending the TSA. Grrrrrrrrr
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The military has a very effective disciplinary system, mainly because it is exempt from civil service law.

As for cops, judges, and teachers, I have known crooks who had been in each of those professions before they got caught. (No firefighters, though, off the top of my head.)

Earlier today I had a heated discussion with my accountant regarding my refusal to provide the IRS and the NYS DTF with my checking account numbers for electronic filing. I refuse to do it. I make my payments through a third-party company that takes my payment and passes it on to IRS.

This apparently complicates my accountant's job a bit, because four times a year we have this argument. I tell him to file my returns electronically if he has to, but without the payment information; and that I'll pay IRS and the state through the third-party processor.

My reasons have to do with what Anthony said. The payment processor I use does nothing except take payments for IRS and state tax agencies. That is their only business. If they get sloppy with security and their customers' information winds up in the wrong hands, they are civilly (and possibly criminally) liable; and in any case, no one would ever trust them to take their payments again. They would be out of business overnight.

If, on the other hand, the government got sloppy and my banking information got into the wrong hands, what would happen? Would anyone be held personally responsible? Would anyone go to jail? Would the IRS go out of business?

That's what makes the difference, in my opinion; and it's the reason I will give my banking information to a private company to pay my taxes (and pay a fee on top of the tax bill), but I won't give the same information to the government.

I think it's also what Anthony was alluding to. If the government screws up, and my banking information winds up in the hands of some guy name Boris or Igor in Brighton Beach as a result, there is zero accountability. But if a private company screws up in the same way, the company will be out of business overnight.

Whether we're talking about money or possessions, wouldn't you rather have a person and a company who will be held accountable handling yours?

-Rich
 
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I think the military does a fine job, but the cost is out of control. I've seen it from the inside. In the name of things like the war on terror and war on drugs the amount spent is ridiculous, and out of control. While I think the military in general does excellent work to keep us free, the cost could be less than what we pay, and their mission has creeped way to far, and the cost has skyrocketed.
 
Anthony said:
I think the military does a fine job, but the cost is out of control. I've seen it from the inside. In the name of things like the war on terror and war on drugs the amount spent is ridiculous, and out of control. While I think the military in general does excellent work to keep us free, the cost could be less than what we pay, and their mission has creeped way to far, and the cost has skyrocketed.
Click to expand...

If you've seen it from the inside, then you've seen that the excessive costs are congressional adds and the "drive-by fieldings", but mostly the idiotic acquisition regulations.
 
Thieving rat bastards swiped stuff from our luggage a few years ago. I filed reports with both the airline and TSA. Guess what? TSA pointed at the airline, said they weren't responsible. Airline pointed at TSA and said they weren't responsible. Neither gave a rat's *** about it.

My point was, and still is, that if someone in the chain was willing to risk prison for a $1 box of Hot Tamales and a digital camera that was worth maybe $150 or so, what do you suppose I could have put INTO someone's luggage and ONTO an airliner for, say, $10K? How about for $100K?

We've seen time and time again that we have a fair number of low life scumbag criminals pawing through peoples' luggage. It's about ten years past time for it to stop.
 
I have always said it would be very easy to bribe people that have direct access to aircraft. Custodians, baggage handlers, food service people, etc. They are low wage earners, and could be easily bribed with very little money. Now it is obvious Federal workers can be easily bribed.

So what will the recourse be for the TSA? Who will be held accountable? What will happen to change this culture of corruption, and theft?
 
Despite recent negative press, a majority of Americans, 54%, think the U.S. Transportation Security Administration is doing either an excellent or a good job of handling security screening at airports. At the same time, 41% think TSA screening procedures are extremely or very effective at preventing acts of terrorism on U.S. airplanes, with most of the rest saying they are somewhat effective…

Just over half of Americans report having flown at least once in the past year. These fliers have a slightly better opinion of the job TSA is doing than those who haven’t flown. Fifty-seven percent of those who have flown at least once and 57% of the smaller group who have flown at least three times have an excellent or good opinion of the TSA’s job performance. That compares with 52% of those who have not flown in the past year.

http://hotair.com/archives/2012/08/09/shock-poll-tsas-job-approval-rating-at-5412-2/

Never underestimate the stupidity of the voting public. Sheeple is all we have left. Our country should be flushed down the sewer, only the strong would survive.
 
"A convicted TSA security officer says he was part of a "culture" of indifference"

Myself, I think that "culture of indifference" permeates all bureaucracies, not just the TSA.

I'm convinced it is the basic tenet of any bureaucracy that is staffed by people who have their entire working years and retirement prearranged and guaranteed.

They go to work, they go home....over and over again.

The only excitement they get in their hum drum existence is screwing someone over in one way or another.

-John
 
I'm no fan of TSA. Whenever I go through security it seems like they are obsessed with the insignificant and the big stuff just goes through. Wow, I wonder how he fenced all that stuff? I wonder why no one saw him doing it? As far as the military, I was in the Navy and you couldn't leave anything laying out without getting it stolen. One night I left a half read book on my bunk while I went to the head and came back to find it gone. But where are all the other TSA agents while all this theft is going on? I was a cop for twenty-nine years. I have seen dishonest cops, even thieving cops, but they get caught by the honest cops. I saw a cop lift a fifty from a prisoner's billfold one time. I not only confronted him right there, but I called the Sgt. over. I'm asking again, where are the other TSA agents? I can't believe they just stand there and watch, but evidently they do. Anyway, I'm usually a very tolerant person. I can get past a lot of dishonesty, but a thief is a thief. I just can't stand a thief.
 
Craigslist and ebay are perfect fence operations. I often wonder what percent of the used stuff on CL and ebay are stolen. I'm certain it's very high. A few months ago I was looking at buying a new car hauler. I went to a yard where a guy was selling a nice trailer, and had a look at it. He said he had the title to it, but I couldn't find any stampings, or ID, or anything on the frame of the trailer. I knew it was stolen, so I just left. Someone else bought it, no doubt.
 
It's not really new, but the latest TSA playbook must have something to do with getting people do 'dialog' with them. Every TSA douche in the place wants to make it their business to know 'how ya doin?' 'where ya headed?' 'having a nice trip?' etc. When I stare daggers at them and don't answer I'm just hoping and begging them to make a deal of it. Of course, they can't, but maybe one day I'll get a response.
 
docmirror said:
Craigslist and ebay are perfect fence operations. I often wonder what percent of the used stuff on CL and ebay are stolen. I'm certain it's very high. A few months ago I was looking at buying a new car hauler. I went to a yard where a guy was selling a nice trailer, and had a look at it. He said he had the title to it, but I couldn't find any stampings, or ID, or anything on the frame of the trailer. I knew it was stolen, so I just left. Someone else bought it, no doubt.
Click to expand...

Below is a video of a guy who had a bike stolen. He saw it listed on Craigslist for sale, and went and confronted the thief.

 
'how ya doin?'
Click to expand...
I puked on the last guy that asked me that question.
'where ya headed?'
Click to expand...
Not here.
'having a nice trip?'
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Who cares.


docmirror said:
He said he had the title to it, but I couldn't find any stampings, or ID, or anything on the frame of the trailer.
Click to expand...

Actually for utility trailer type equipment that's not an indication of being stolen. (Campers and motorhomes have the same problem to some extent depending on year/manufacturer) As an example: I have a utility trailer that I bought brand new from the manufacturer and towed it out of their production facility parking lot myself. It's completely legitimate. The only indication of trailer ID was a sticker on the frame with typed VIN#, weight limits and manufacturer identification. That has been long since weathered beyond recognition and the sticker remains are nearly gone. (I've since put the VIN number permanently on the trailer myself but I'm probably the only person around who has done that..because I want proof on the trailer that it's mine when the police arrive after I beat the snot out of anyone who tries to steal it from me)
 
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Maxmosbey said:
I'm no fan of TSA. Whenever I go through security it seems like they are obsessed with the insignificant and the big stuff just goes through. Wow, I wonder how he fenced all that stuff? I wonder why no one saw him doing it? As far as the military, I was in the Navy and you couldn't leave anything laying out without getting it stolen. One night I left a half read book on my bunk while I went to the head and came back to find it gone. But where are all the other TSA agents while all this theft is going on? I was a cop for twenty-nine years. I have seen dishonest cops, even thieving cops, but they get caught by the honest cops. I saw a cop lift a fifty from a prisoner's billfold one time. I not only confronted him right there, but I called the Sgt. over. I'm asking again, where are the other TSA agents? I can't believe they just stand there and watch, but evidently they do. Anyway, I'm usually a very tolerant person. I can get past a lot of dishonesty, but a thief is a thief. I just can't stand a thief.
Click to expand...

Thievery in the military is the worst thing that can happen among enlisted troops. It is a huge moral buster. Once it starts, it becomes rampant.

The way it was handled in our company was the establishment of a "catch a thief fund." Every payday, everyone in the company, officers included, had to put one dollar into that fund. It was well into the many thousands when I joined the company.

Every month, the first Sergeant would announce the amount along with instructions on how to get it. He made it very clear that all he wanted was the location of the thief's body. There was more than enough to purchase a house. That was in 1960, Kentucky.

A newly transfered into the company buck Sergent made a claim on it by insisting a PFC had ripped his hat off from the hat tree in the mess hall.

The PFC was a well liked and respected member of the company. He ended up with stockade time. The new Sergeant who got the fund disappeared from the company. It was said he transfered out to another division.

-John
 
stagecoachco said:
Below is a video of a guy who had a bike stolen. He saw it listed on Craigslist for sale, and went and confronted the thief.

Click to expand...

So the police let this guy have the bike back without providing something like the serial number? Surely bicycles have serial numbers?
 
EppyGA said:
So the police let this guy have the bike back without providing something like the serial number? Surely bicycles have serial numbers?
Click to expand...

As I recall the whole story, the owner had a bill of sale from the store including the SN and it was provided to the cops.
 
docmirror said:
Craigslist and ebay are perfect fence operations. I often wonder what percent of the used stuff on CL and ebay are stolen. I'm certain it's very high. A few months ago I was looking at buying a new car hauler. I went to a yard where a guy was selling a nice trailer, and had a look at it. He said he had the title to it, but I couldn't find any stampings, or ID, or anything on the frame of the trailer. I knew it was stolen, so I just left. Someone else bought it, no doubt.
Click to expand...
I am dealing right now with a vehicle that I bought off craigslist that has a questionable registration. I don't think that it is stolen, I hope that it isn't stolen, but if it is I hope the real owner gets it back. The investigators are coming over to look at it this week.
 
Maxmosbey said:
I am dealing right now with a vehicle that I bought off craigslist that has a questionable registration. I don't think that it is stolen, I hope that it isn't stolen, but if it is I hope the real owner gets it back. The investigators are coming over to look at it this week.
Click to expand...

I bought a Porsche 968 a few months back off CL with no title. I almost walked away, but the car had obviously been sitting for 5 years at least, in a backyard, the seller said there was no paperwork with the car, so I inspected the hell out of it. Found the prev registration in the fender well, kept searching and found the window sticker(bonus!). Called the DMV, asked about a bonded title and bought it for a very low price. The whole title deal was a serious hassle and cost me $488 but the car is mine. If someone comes along in the next 24 months to claim the car, the bonding company gets to make me whole for the bonded retail price of the car, which is about 10 times what I paid for it. I'm almost hoping someone will step up and say it's his car, so I can make a profit off the bond company.
 
Anthony said:
Now it is obvious Federal workers can be easily bribed.
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Oh, Congresscritters have been demonstrating that for a long, long time.

Anthony said:
So what will the recourse be for the TSA? Who will be held accountable? What will happen to change this culture of corruption, and theft?
Click to expand...
Nothing. This is far from the fist time, and it won't be the last, and exactly the same thing will happen this time.

Nothing.
 
Of all the TSA encounters I've had, and long lines I have stood in the only thing I have ever seen them confiscate are all the common things: drinks, liquids over 3 oz, lighters, etc. Has anyone seen them stop a person for carrying something dangerous? If anything, the allusion of security is good for slowing down the passengers.

It was also on a recent flight they had TSA at the gate to do random screenings. All set up with their fancy equipment and they didn't stop one person. I'd say that random screening worked well.
 
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