TSA officials at U.S. airports are entrusted to protect us from harm, especially since we’re often helplessly at their mercy. But what happens when the TSA official is the person you should mistrust most?
Such is the case of 30-year-old Nelson Santiago, a TSA official who authorities say stole nearly $50,000 worth of electronics over the past 6 months from passengers at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida.
Santiago, who has been a TSA officer since 2009, was caught earlier this week by an airline employee taking an iPad out of someone’s luggage and stuffing it into his pants. Police were called and Santiago admitted to stealing tons of electronics, including computers, GPS devices, video cameras, and other merchandise from luggage he was hired to screen.
Police say Santiago’s scheme was to steal expensive devices from passenger’s bags when no one was looking, then take and upload photos of the goods online for immediate sale. Santiago was apparently so deft at his ploy, that he would often sell the stolen merchandise before his shift was even over.
Santiago has since been arrested on two counts of grand theft and is currently facing multiple years of imprisonment.
This doesn't surprise me. Probably happens all the time more than anybody knows. These TSA workers are still human. Like cops they can commit crimes too. I don't trust most of them.