Police arrest 2 orlando airports worker for theft

[mrFDNY]

Hi all,
For some strange reason this is not surprising at all,these days.

Two OIA Workers Accused Of Stealing Luggage
Posted on July 20, 2006 Email To Friend Print Version



WFTV 9 - ORLANDO, Fla. -- In the past week, two workers at Orlando International Airport were arrested for allegedly stealing luggage. One of them fell for an elaborate ruse set up by police.

With 35 million passengers a year, a lot of bags travel through OIA. Now it has come to light that two alleged thieves were hiding in plain sight. One of them was allegedly a Skycap named Ivory Sneed.

After getting reports from three different airlines about a rise in missing bags, Orlando Sergeant Dean Deschryver and his undercover officers left a laptop bag against a wall near the JetBlue carousel and stood back to watch.

It didn't take long for Sneed to pick up the decoy, and surveillance cameras were rolling as he pushed his cart, with the decoy, away from the carousel and onto an elevator. Undercover cops ran to keep it in sight, following it to Sneed's personal space in the Skycap office at JetBlue's curbside check-in.

"We eventually made contact with him, asked him what he was doing, and he confessed his intent to steal the bag," said Sgt. Dean DeSchryver, Orlando Police Department.

Police said another airport worker, William Esparra, took an actual passenger's $2,000 laptop from one of the terminals. It turned up days later at an Orlando pawn shop where Esparra's girlfriend had allegedly cashed it in for $300.

Investigators said they didn't know if either airport worker had committed any other thefts. But with more and more passengers and more and more bags coming through OIA, they want all potential thieves to be on notice.

"You're not gonna know who we are cause we're not gonna be in uniform, but we are watching you," DeSchryver said.

Sneed worked for Superior Aircraft, a baggage handling contractor. Esparra worked for BG Cleaning, a janitorial contractor. The airport pulled both men's credentials and both have been charged with grand theft.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Thanks for posting! Good to know they'll be watching out for our bags.

 

[drakethib]

Darn shame people do this kind of stuff

 

[tmt martins]

They caught a year ago or so ,a bunch here at BWI.

They were targeting soldiers going to war and taking all of their electronics from their bags.

They put them away for a long time but they should have just sent them on the next plane with the next set of Men and Women defending our good ol USA.

 

[Melrosgirl]

I know someone who used to work as a baggage handler for a different airline. He told me that he and his coworkers would repeatedly go through luggage. They stole cameras, laptops, etc. All the time. Yes, it's sad. (He no longer works for them thankfully.) Do not put valuables in your luggage!

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

I know someone who used to work as a baggage handler for a different airline. He told me that he and his coworkers would repeatedly go through luggage. They stole cameras, laptops, etc. All the time. Yes, it's sad. (He no longer works for them thankfully.) Do not put valuables in your luggage!

There was a Dateline undercover report about this kind of stuff years ago. I'm glad the police are setting up stings to catch some of these people.