14 September 2023 , 17:56
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Airport security guards in Miami have allegedly been stealing from passengers while they are passing through, shocking footage has revealed.
Labarrius Williams, 33 and Josue Gonzalez, 20, who work for Transportation Security Administration (TSA), are accused of stealing passengers in Miami International Airport. The footage caught them on June 29 at checkpoint E as they colluded to seemingly steal cash from those going through security.
Williams is seen moving items around in a security luggage bin, before he walks away. At this point, Gonzalez steps in and puts his hand over the item, before removing something from the bin and dropping it into his pocket. He then returns to the conveyor belt.
Further CCTV footage shows Gonzalez unzipping a purse while the bin moves down the belt, removing a wallet from the bag and hiding it behind a larger bag in the corner of the bin. While the bin is moving, he opens the wallet and handles the cash inside, continually returning to the bin as it moves down the conveyor belt. He continues handling the bag until it reaches the CT scanner, at which point he puts his hands in his pockets and leaves.
Williams refused to confess and will now go to trial for the alleged theft (Miami-Dade County)
Gonzalez provided a written confession and has been placed on a prosecution programme (Miami-Dade County)An arrest report reveals that Miami International Airport’s federal security director contacted Miami-Dade Police about thefts at checkpoint E. On July 6, Williams, Gonzalez and a third TSA agent were arrested on accusation of removing $600 from a wallet while they were going through security. The third person arrested had their charges dropped, the Daily Mail reported.
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Gonzalez waived his rights when arrested and provided a written confession, while Williams refused to talk. NBC Miami reported that Gonzalez was accepted into a prosecution program, which will lead to charges being dropped if it is completed.
Gonzalez was caught on CCTV fingering through someone's belongings (Miami-Dade County)Gonzalez must pay $700 to the two victims, do 24 hours of community service and give up his credentials at airport security. Williams, however, was denied entry to the program - and will go to trial.
In a statement to CBS, TSA said: “TSA has removed the officers from screening duties pending completion of the investigation and administrative actions. The Transportation Security Administration holds its Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) to the highest professional and ethical standards and has no tolerance for misconduct in the workplace."
The surveillance video was released and appears to show money being taken from the luggage bins (Miami-Dade County)“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.”