Newly released surveillance footage captured the moment two TSA officers allegedly stole at least $600 in cash and other items from unsuspecting passengers’ luggage at a Florida airport.
Josue Gonzalez, 20, and Labarrius Williams, 33, were caught on camera as they allegedly rummaged through the bags of travelers waiting to go through the scanner at Checkpoint E at Miami International Airport in June.
The TSA workers were arrested in July when enforcement officials began investigating claims of theft occurring at the checkpoint, NBC6 reported.
Video from the checkpoint shows the two accused thieves at the baggage drop-off section of the checkpoint as they worked together to take money from wallets and purses that passed them on the way to the x-ray machine.
At one point, the brazen pair stood next to each other appearing to talk while Williams sneakily dug through a black bag, removing an item and leaving it in the bin until Gonzalez moved the bin on the conveyor belt and pocketed the item, according to video obtained by NBC Miami.
Gonzalez was later seen going through a Louis Vuitton bag, leaving the item in the bin until he was able to remove it further up in line.
The outlet reported that Gonzalez and Williams’ thefts included stealing $600 from a passenger’s wallet.
The thefts occurred while the passengers were distracted with their own screenings and not paying attention to their items.
The two officers, along with their coworker Elizabeth Fuster, 22, were arrested in July on charges they were involved in an organized scheme to defraud.
Fuster and Gonzalez confessed to “numerous thefts” from travelers, admitting to stealing an average of $1,000 daily while working together.
Fuster’s charge was dropped in August, while both Gonzalez and Williams have pleaded not guilty to the third-degree felony grand theft charges they face, according to Miami-Dade County court records viewed by the Post.
Gonzalez entered a deferred prosecution program where, upon completion, he could have his charges dropped.
He will also have to pay $700 to the victims identified and complete 25 hours of community service while also giving up his airport credentials, according to the outlet.
Williams, on the other hand, was not accepted into the program and will take his case to trial in October.
