WSB-TV: ATL TSA agent arrested, charged with faking cancer for 5 years
Apr 29, 2015, 9:07 am
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: ATL Lost Luggage
Programs: Kettle with Kryptonium Medallion Tags
Posts: 10,306
WSB-TV: ATL TSA agent arrested, charged with faking cancer for 5 years
Yet another new low:
WSB-TV, Atlanta Channel 2:
TSA agent arrested, charged with faking cancer for 5 years
Posted: 11:37 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, 2015
An excerpt:
and
WSB-TV, Atlanta Channel 2:
TSA agent arrested, charged with faking cancer for 5 years
Posted: 11:37 p.m. Tuesday, April 28, 2015
An excerpt:
ATLANTA — Federal agents arrested a local TSA agent accused of faking cancer for five years to get out of work. Since 2009 investigators say security Officer Marc Bess told his bosses at the Transportation Security Administration that he was very sick with cancer, abdominal lymphoma in fact. Investigators say he forged notes from a physician detailing radiation, surgery and ongoing treatment that he needed to undergo. The trouble is investigators say it was all made up.
According to a criminal information document filed by the U.S Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, Bess wrote fake doctors notes and the TSA caught on after discovering the doctor who he signed off as was dead....... Court records show that investigators believe he took 2,240 hours in sick leave. That’s about 280 sick days if you work an eight-hour work day over a five year time period......Court records show that the majority of the paid leave time was transferred to Bess by other employees as part of a “Voluntary Leave Transfer Program” that the TSA offers.
Apr 29, 2015, 4:21 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: AA Gold AAdvantage Elite, Rapids Reward
Posts: 38,321
WSB-TV: ATL TSA agent arrested, charged with faking cancer for 5 years
Wow! Wow! How it did happen? He didn't show up at work. He never calls at work. He will be fired. He won't be working at airport anymore. He lied to TSA.
Apr 30, 2015, 3:25 am
#4
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Greensboro
Programs: TSA
Posts: 2,424
I am glad this one was found out and is being prosecuted. We have coworkers that are experiencing true medical emergencies, family members that are experiencing medical emergencies requiring assistance from the employee and we have someone gaming the system like this? After having to watch coworkers suffer through periods of no pay in order to accomodate those needs, I say prosecute to the fullest extent and good riddance.
Apr 30, 2015, 7:04 am
#5
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 33
I am glad this one was found out and is being prosecuted. We have coworkers that are experiencing true medical emergencies, family members that are experiencing medical emergencies requiring assistance from the employee and we have someone gaming the system like this? After having to watch coworkers suffer through periods of no pay in order to accomodate those needs, I say prosecute to the fullest extent and good riddance.
Apr 30, 2015, 7:12 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: An NPR mind living in a Fox News world
Posts: 14,165
Yes -- the SPOTNiks get to retire someday and draw a pension and get health insurance for life -- on our nickels, of course.
Apr 30, 2015, 7:20 am
#7
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 28,110
I am glad this one was found out and is being prosecuted. We have coworkers that are experiencing true medical emergencies, family members that are experiencing medical emergencies requiring assistance from the employee and we have someone gaming the system like this? After having to watch coworkers suffer through periods of no pay in order to accomodate those needs, I say prosecute to the fullest extent and good riddance.
This guy was pulling his scam over a 5 year period using about 280 sick days and not once did a TSA BDO sense and report something amiss?
Apr 30, 2015, 7:26 am
#8
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,657
The BDO program is aimed at passengers, not TSOs. It is aimed at detecting deception among passengers, not deception among TSOs.
For all the times here that people yell about TSA spending its time looking for things that are outside of its jurisdiction (e.g. drugs, human trafficking), why do we want to yell at TSA about a program not detecting something THAT IT WASN'T DESIGNED TO DETECT?
Look, I'm no fan of the BDO program. I'm certainly no fan of TSA's seeming inability to police its own ranks. But the two aren't related, and tying the two together only serves to confuse matters.
Apr 30, 2015, 7:35 am
#9
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 28,110
Oh, for crying out loud ...
The BDO program is aimed at passengers, not TSOs. It is aimed at detecting deception among passengers, not deception among TSOs.
For all the times here that people yell about TSA spending its time looking for things that are outside of its jurisdiction (e.g. drugs, human trafficking), why do we want to yell at TSA about a program not detecting something THAT IT WASN'T DESIGNED TO DETECT?
Look, I'm no fan of the BDO program. I'm certainly no fan of TSA's seeming inability to police its own ranks. But the two aren't related, and tying the two together only serves to confuse matters.
The BDO program is aimed at passengers, not TSOs. It is aimed at detecting deception among passengers, not deception among TSOs.
For all the times here that people yell about TSA spending its time looking for things that are outside of its jurisdiction (e.g. drugs, human trafficking), why do we want to yell at TSA about a program not detecting something THAT IT WASN'T DESIGNED TO DETECT?
Look, I'm no fan of the BDO program. I'm certainly no fan of TSA's seeming inability to police its own ranks. But the two aren't related, and tying the two together only serves to confuse matters.
I find that concept less than plausible.
Apr 30, 2015, 7:40 am
#10
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: Delta TDK(or care)WIA, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,869
Oh, for crying out loud ...
The BDO program is aimed at passengers, not TSOs. It is aimed at detecting deception among passengers, not deception among TSOs.
For all the times here that people yell about TSA spending its time looking for things that are outside of its jurisdiction (e.g. drugs, human trafficking), why do we want to yell at TSA about a program not detecting something THAT IT WASN'T DESIGNED TO DETECT?
Look, I'm no fan of the BDO program. I'm certainly no fan of TSA's seeming inability to police its own ranks. But the two aren't related, and tying the two together only serves to confuse matters.
The BDO program is aimed at passengers, not TSOs. It is aimed at detecting deception among passengers, not deception among TSOs.
For all the times here that people yell about TSA spending its time looking for things that are outside of its jurisdiction (e.g. drugs, human trafficking), why do we want to yell at TSA about a program not detecting something THAT IT WASN'T DESIGNED TO DETECT?
Look, I'm no fan of the BDO program. I'm certainly no fan of TSA's seeming inability to police its own ranks. But the two aren't related, and tying the two together only serves to confuse matters.
The point being made is, BDC techniques don't work. And don't tell me the BDCs don't pay attention to their fellow clerks in the belief that their fellow clerks are honest. If the BDC techniques worked. there would be constant, accurate hits on clerks, and the few TSA managers who are honest could use the information they gained to clean up the workforce.
Apr 30, 2015, 7:48 am
#11
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: Delta TDK(or care)WIA, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,869
Same thing when I see someone shaking his leg all about, especially if he then does the Hokey Pokey and turns himself around!
Once you learn these skills, they stay with you forever! And you use them constantly. To do otherwise is to place your nation in peril!
Apr 30, 2015, 7:59 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: DFW
Posts: 28,110
That's right. I've got a copy of the checklist and I use it all the time. Whenever I see someone striking a careless pose and whistling a happy tune, I call 911.
Same thing when I see someone shaking his leg all about, especially if he then does the Hokey Pokey and turns himself around!
Once you learn these skills, they stay with you forever! And you use them constantly. To do otherwise is to place your nation in peril!
Same thing when I see someone shaking his leg all about, especially if he then does the Hokey Pokey and turns himself around!
Once you learn these skills, they stay with you forever! And you use them constantly. To do otherwise is to place your nation in peril!
Apr 30, 2015, 8:03 am
#13
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,657
It's clear that TSA does not consider its own employees to be serious threats to security. When we ask why TSOs aren't physically screened themselves when they enter a checkpoint, we've been told numerous times by (*cough*) certain TSOs here that TSOs are trusted and don't need to be screened. If TSA won't even take that simple step, there's no reason to believe that TSA will apply more "complicated" techniques like behavior detection to its own workforce.
Apr 30, 2015, 8:09 am
#14
Join Date: May 2011
Location: San Antonio, TX
Programs: AA EXP, DL Silver, Global Entry
Posts: 1,863
With 42 years of Federal civil service, 30 of that as a supervisor of anywhere from 6 to 150 personnel, this is not the first abuse of sick leave case I've seen. I will say this is extreme, maybe the worse I've heard of, and I have to wonder where was this employee's management/supervisor? Shouldn't and doesn't matter if it's TSA, DoD, Agriculture, or whatever Federal agency. All Federal agencies run under at least minimum OPM guidance, policy, and procedures. This is a basic personnel management issue and a gross failure.
Apr 30, 2015, 8:29 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SEA
Programs: Delta TDK(or care)WIA, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,869
Only if the techniques were used on TSOs themselves. And it's apparent that they're not.
It's clear that TSA does not consider its own employees to be serious threats to security. When we ask why TSOs aren't physically screened themselves when they enter a checkpoint, we've been told numerous times by (*cough*) certain TSOs here that TSOs are trusted and don't need to be screened. If TSA won't even take that simple step, there's no reason to believe that TSA will apply more "complicated" techniques like behavior detection to its own workforce.
It's clear that TSA does not consider its own employees to be serious threats to security. When we ask why TSOs aren't physically screened themselves when they enter a checkpoint, we've been told numerous times by (*cough*) certain TSOs here that TSOs are trusted and don't need to be screened. If TSA won't even take that simple step, there's no reason to believe that TSA will apply more "complicated" techniques like behavior detection to its own workforce.
The fact that BDC techniques weren't effectively used in this case proves they don't work.