Hotel CEO Caught Stealing Luggage at Memphis International Airport

A businessman and hotel CEO has been charged with stealing bags from Memphis International Airport (MEM). Dinesh Chawla, who owns Chawla Hotels and was once a partner of Trump Hotels, was arrested by police but has been released on bail. Chawla has admitted the thefts and faces a hearing on Friday.

A businessman has been charged with stealing bags from Memphis International Airport (MEM), reports The Associated Press. Hotelier Dinesh Chawla, who is the CEO of Chawla Hotels, a chain that owns 17 different properties in Mississippi, was captured on camera stealing a bag from a conveyor belt at the facility on August 18th.

After taking it from the belt, he was allegedly seen to have loaded it into his vehicle before re-entering the airport to catch a flight.

Chawla’s vehicle was towed by police authorities during his absence. After first obtaining a warrant for his car, police conducted a search and found another bag that had been stolen from Memphis International Airport back in July.

Chawla was arrested upon his return to Tennessee from Florida and, according to information obtained by the news agency, he has confessed to taking these two bags as well as to a number of historical thefts.

The combined value of the two most recent thefts is said to be $3,899.

Chawla is currently free on bail, with a court hearing set for Friday. He has not responded to any requests for comment.

Chawla was once a former partner of Trump Hotels and, as the agency reports, gained attention after he agreed to open properties franchised as part of the family’s brand. There were, however, concerns over the tax break that Chawla had received as part of this deal.

[Featured Image: Trump Hotel]