kettle1

BOSTON (AP) -- Five airline employees were charged Thursday in a sting operation with using their security clearances to secretly smuggle more than $400,000 in cash through Boston's Logan Airport.

Four ground operations crew members of JetBlue Airways and one Delta Air Lines customer service ramp agent were arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the Transportation Security Administration.

Federal prosecutors said they used their security clearance to circumvent TSA checkpoints and smuggle cash to secure areas such as passenger departure gates. In return, each allegedly received a payment from a cooperating witness who posed as a member of a drug-trafficking organization while working with law enforcement.

FULL STORY: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/airlin...181454374.html

alphaod

Not surprising. Probably have something like this at every major airport.

N830MH

No surprising! They being caught. They were trying to smuggle the money into TSA checkpoint. Nobody who being caught past at TSA checkpoint. What a shame! They will never work for airlines again. They could go to prison for years. They will not able work for airlines again. They have find a new job.

FTcadence

Each of the 5 airline employees (4 JetBlue employees and 1 Delta employee) has been charged with money laundering and conspiracy to defraud the U.S.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/201...SYL/story.html

N830MH

Really? Wow! They are going to jail for a very long time. Nobody who smuggling the money into security checkpoint. What a shame! They won't get a job back. They will never work for airlines again.

Out of my Element

How long does someone typically go to jail for when convicted of a crime like this?

Dadaluma83

Considering they were trying to rip off a pretty penny from Uncle Sam, plus being airport employees curious if the prosecutor can throw in some sort of security issue in as well, they could easily go to jail for several decades.

Out of my Element

Do we have any examples? I ask because the prior poster was certain that they would go to jail for a very long time and I couldn't find any similar situations that resulted in extended sentences.

Brendan

What does this have to do with TSA? I'm surprised the (fake) dope dealer felt a need to circumvent the TSA. Do TSAgents look for cash in carry-on bags when x-raying them? Because cash on board a plane is no security threat to the safe operation of that plane.
Also, transporting cash within the USA is legal & non-declarable. Further, if cash is 'dirty' (such as dope profits) in Boston, it's still dirty on arrival in Florida!
I bet they'll beat this rap.

flyerCO

I'm doubting they brought the money to domestic flights. I'm sure they were bringing it to international flights so that the dirty money could be taken out of country. It's illegal to take money outside the country without declaring it over a certain amount. Since the money then can be used to fund terrorist attacks/other bad things TSA is involved in helping CBP ensure people comply with reporting requirements. Also the fact is they used their security clearance to smuggle something past security. Regardless of if it's a legal item or not, using your security clearance to get an item past security is illegal.

These employees are not going to "beat the rap." They're looking at multiple felonies and felonies that are on the high end in terms of how bad the crime is. To name just a few, they've violated TSA security regulations, they've engaged in money laundering, they've assisted in violating currency reporting requirements, they've assisted in actually moving the said currency - not just facilitating the movement and multiple others. They're also looking at possible terrorism charges if they money is being/was intended for terrorist purposes.

Brendan

FlyerCO, the story said the flights were from Boston to Florida. Based on that but without further info, I say that there was no laundering nor reporting requirement to be evaded. Of course, on arrival in a Florida airport, the drug dealers (or anybody) could connect to international flights without further inspection/ controls.

What would TSA have done, had they found the cash? Reminded the Px to declare it to CBP in Florida? The last I heard, a declaration to US Customs of currency export > $10K must be done at that last US airport, where one boards the intl. flight. Several years ago I was exporting currency for business reasons. I had to book a longer layover at my connecting airport to go looking for US Customs to file my declaration!