Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
TSA agent helped himself to a $47,900 camera (and more!)
It's no secret that I'm not a fan of the TSA. While I fully understand the importance of keeping our planes and airports safe, I'm just not sure the TSA is up to the job. The agency is also plagued by bad PR, mainly because of incompetent staff members and insane decisions that impact us as travelers.The latest in a long lineup of bad press for the agency involves TSA screener Pythias Brown. This 48 year old resident of Maplewood, NJ was supposed to keep bad stuff off the plane, but instead, he was helping himself to valuable items from the bags of people entrusting him with their belongings.
Pythias started small, stealing cameras, laptop computers, gaming consoles and eventually moved on to the good stuff including a video camera belonging to CNN, and a $47,900 camera stored inside the bag of an HBO employee.
The items were sold on Ebay, and as you can see from his feedback listing, these were not cheap items.
His greed eventually came back to haunt him, when CNN found one of their cameras listed on Ebay. With a little help from the local police department and the USPS, Brown was apprehended.
When agents entered his house, they found 66 cameras, 31 laptop computers, jewelry, lenses, GPS devices and more.
The total value of the stolen items is well over $200,000, and if you have ever lost an expensive item when flying from Newark Liberty Airport, you'll be thrilled to hear that the TSA is taking the matter "seriously". News like this just reinforces the need to keep anything of value out of your checked bags.
Of course, this also makes me wonder just how on earth a TSA agent is able to leave the sterile area of his or her local airport with a $47,900 camera hidden in their bag. We passengers get screened, so perhaps it is time to start screening TSA staff when they enter and leave the airport?
Reader Comments (Page 3 of 11)
David Oct 13th 2008 2:55PM
As a TSA officer stories like this disgust me but do not surprise me. A great amount of trust is given to TSA Officers and not all of them have earned that trust. As for the things that I have seen in checked baggage... they boggle the mind. I have screened bags with Uncut Diamonds, Unreleased Manuscripts from Bestselling Authors, Cremated Human Remains, Nobel Peace Prizes, and Olympic Gold Metals... usually in unlocked bags.
SWA Oct 13th 2008 3:02PM
Like someone before me said.......How the hell does someone walk out of the airport secure area with two betacams, let alone laptops and other expensive items. What do they come in with??????? Suitcases???? I would have thought that they would only be allowed to bring in lunch size bags. AND would be screened like us........When the screeners dont get screened, security goes out of the window, or out of the back door like laptops did. I also bet he gets a light sentence for the thefts. FRY HIM!!!!!!!!
I fly all of the time and dont feel any safer with TSA in charge of the security. Now with this, I dont feel that my possessions are safer either. Now you see why everyone wants to carry on everything. Oh yeah. I forgot. The other reason is the bag charge for checking luggage!
Pono Oct 13th 2008 3:21PM
Everyone here should feel safer with TSA in place. There has not been another terrorist attack BECAUSE TSA is there. They get crapped on all the time but do you know what their job entails? None of you do unless you were a part of TSA. I was. I loved it. I worked with some of the most hardworking, honest and dependable people there is. Do you know that while i worked there, i myself found two weapons being sneaked on board on two separate occasions and we also found an IED (Improvised Explosive Device aka...bomb) in one person's luggage. It wasn't even put together but because of the highly trained eyes of the agents, they were able to call out a bag check due to the different components that make up a bomb placed in different parts of the bag unattached. We have also confiscated narcotics, explosive liquids found in shampoo bottles and much more. Remember, there are rotten apples everywhere, even within our own families. That does not mean that family is "BAD". I thank TSA for their hard efforts. Remember, when explosives are detected and found, those TSA agents would be the first line of defense meaning they would be the first to die if anyone triggered the explosive in the checkpoint area. Oh, TSA is not affiliated with any airlines. They are the Federal Government.
Swa Oct 13th 2008 3:49PM
Just because you worked for TSA doesn't mean it feels OR IS any safer for me!!!!!!!!! And it doesn't mean that NO attacks have happened BECAUSE of TSA. It just means that NO attacks have happened since TSA has taken over the security at airports. Yes attempts have been thwarted by TSA and you yourself!!!!! Why don't you go to the smaller airports like in small town Kansas where the TSA doesn't make their appearance til an hour or two before the flight. Lets talk about safe...... Anyone could have done considerable damage there and secured passage on a small plane with IED's. The whole airline industry is no safer than before 911. Some of it is, but not ALL!!!!!! Why not put more thoughts into securing the smaller airports in America. I bet for damn sure the next attack wont be at a large airport like the last. And I don't think ALL of the employees of TSA are bad or incompetent. SOME are. Some are crooks and liars like in all businesses. Please don't take what was written as my gospel. I didn't put all of my thoughts or experiences in that blog. I have had many bad experiences with TSA, and had several very pleasant ones with them too. And I will definitely have many more of both in my upcoming travels.
tman Oct 13th 2008 3:01PM
Let me say that I am a former TSA baggage screener and for the most part the baggage screeners are a hard working and honest group of individuals. I have worked at both Philadelphia International and Tampa International. Screeners must be screened themselves if entering the "Sterile" gate area of the airport, this is not necessarily so for the baggage screening areas. This leaves detection of theft to either, cameras in the screening area or supervision that is right on top of whats going on in their area. Both methods can leave a lot to be desired.
While it is easy to point fingers and make wild assumptions base on a few bad apples, lets not forget that there are thousands of hard working and dedicated people doing a very difficult job and getting very little credit for it!
Colin Oct 13th 2008 3:00PM
Carma is a bit** it serves him right
gillian Oct 13th 2008 4:08PM
i agree with colin tht is bit** stupid and retarted people out there
john Oct 13th 2008 3:02PM
TSA actually stands for "thousands standing around" because that is all they seem to do. Talk about an overpaid job!!!
ed Oct 13th 2008 3:05PM
these peole are nothing but stinking criminals and its been going on for years
AnyoneAnywhere Oct 13th 2008 4:28PM
What a Stupid comment!!!
mike Oct 13th 2008 3:05PM
While theres no doubt he is a stinking thief and needs to be punished ,looking at his feedbacl(lol) he was a very polite seller of stoen goods,
cmsmuse2netscape.net Oct 13th 2008 3:06PM
My husband had his camera lifted in Newark in July...He filed a claim with TSA and they said we couldn't prove it was one of their employees...HAH! We're going to file again with a copy of this article
twonewport Oct 13th 2008 3:10PM
The government requires a lower standard by a handicap hiring requirement - so a lowest common denominator effect. This wouldn't even be an issue if they would just screen middle eastern male 18 to 35. hell they blew the shit up and we pay for it. Keep bending over america - keep taking it like a girlie man. Better to live a captive then die free.
chuck Oct 13th 2008 5:12PM
hey twonewport.... when obama gets the presidency, we won't need TSA. He will vouch for them......
Juliebean Oct 13th 2008 3:25PM
David, you talk about the things being left boggling the mind, "usually in unlocked bags". What other choice is there? If you lock your check-in bag, the lock is cut off. Yes, it would be better if all valuables could be brought on board but that is not always an option with space being so hard to find in the overhead bins. After a certain point, people have to trust that their belongings will arrive along with them.
patch Oct 13th 2008 3:15PM
I husband wonder where they get some of there stuff on ebay. Easier than a pawn shop. Really sad.
Brian Oct 13th 2008 3:23PM
Excellent and honest Ebayer! (#320290787733)
I guess this the person who left this feedback missed the mark.
MaryLou Michelin Oct 13th 2008 7:41PM
My Omega watch was stolen by a TSA agent at the Vegas airport. It only took me seconds to notice it I did not have it leaving the TSA belt, when I turned around a blond agent met me and gave me a phone numbe3r that was longer working. I would bet my last dollar she has my watch, that was given to me by my deceased Mom.
Pat MaGroin Oct 13th 2008 3:27PM
Once again it just goes to show you that , you can take the animal out of the jungle but you can't take the jungle out of the animal . Bet his mom and pop are real proud of him, nice paying secure job and he has to put his filthy hands on other peoples belongings. The TSA should prosecute this animal to the fullest extent of the law. They should allow the HBO guy to film someone chopping this animals hands off and stuffing them in his rectum , you see if his hands were good he should stuff them there because good things will never hurt him . May he rot in jail because he is one of the lowest form of scum that walks the earth . People who steal from others should be shot because they are useless pieces of crap and they don't deserve to breathe the air that honest people breathe.
yannigan Oct 13th 2008 3:29PM
What about the individuals who bought these items on Ebay? Are they guilty of receiving stolen property? Will they have to return the items to their rightful owners?