Stole From Traveler During Check
A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent assigned to John F. Kennedy International Airport has been arraigned on charges of grand larceny and other offenses in connection with the alleged theft of $5,000 in cash from a passenger’s jacket as he was going through airport security last week.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown identified the defendant as Alexandra Schmid, 31, of Sumpter Street in Brooklyn, who has been employed by the TSA for approximately 4 1/2 years. She was arraigned last Thursday night, Feb. 2, before Queens Criminal Court Judge Joseph Zayas on a criminal complaint charging her one count of third-degree grand larceny, one count of fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property and one count of official misconduct.
Schmid, who faces up to seven years in prison if convicted, was released on her own recognizance and ordered to return to court on Feb. 27.
“It is particularly troubling that an individual responsible for ensuring the safety and security of our nation’s airlines and protecting us from terrorism would allegedly engage in theft,” Brown said. “Such conduct tarnishes the reputation of thousands of dedicated TSA agents who faithfully carry out their responsibilities each day and unfairly undermines public confidence in the TSA’s ability to carry out its mission.”
According to the charges, Schmid was on duty at approximately 8 p.m. last Wednesday, Feb. 1, in JFK’s Tercrowded minal 4 screening area when a male passenger placed his jacket in a bin as part of the pre-boarding screening process and placed the bin on an Xray conveyor belt.
When the man retrieved his suit jacket, he allegedly discovered that $5,000 (in $100 U.S. bills) was missing from his jacket pocket.
The complaint further charges that another TSA officer had observed Schmid remove the envelope from the man’s jacket pocket and place the envelope inside a blue latex glove. Thereafter, Schmid allegedly left the screening area and went to the restroom. It is alleged that when Schmid was later confronted by Port Authority police, five $100 bills were found in her possession.
The investigation was conducted by the Port Authority Police Department.
Assistant District Attorney Carmencita N. Gutierrez, deputy bureau chief of the District Attorney’s Integrity Bureau, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney James M. Liander, bureau chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Linda M. Cantoni.
It was noted that criminal complaints are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
