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Feds: Crooked TSA Screeners Arrested in Drug Trafficking Scheme
ABCNews ^ | April 25, 2012 | JASON RYAN and LEE FERRAN

Posted on 04/25/2012 4:34:16 PM PDT by Steelfish

Feds: Crooked TSA Screeners Arrested in Drug Trafficking Scheme By JASON RYAN and LEE FERRAN | ABC News

Multiple airport screeners have been arrested for allegedly taking handsome bribes to look the other way while loads of illegal drugs slipped through security at Los Angeles International Airport, federal officials announced today.

Two current and two former officials at the Transportation Security Administration were arrested in the last 48 hours in connection with at least five incidents from February 2011 to July 2011 in which on duty screeners took payments of up to $2,400 to allow suitcases filled with drugs to pass unimpeded through X-ray machines at LAX, U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr.'s office said in a statement.

According to Birotte's office, the scheme was uncovered after a member of the alleged conspiracy accidentally went through the wrong security line and was busted by TSA screeners who were not in on the plot. In another case, a TSA screener unknowingly arranged with a confidential source for the Drug Enforcement Administration to receive $1,200 for a shipment of methamphetamine to pass through security.

The current TSA employees, 23-year-old John Whitfield and 25-year-old Capeline McKinney, and the former screeners, 30-year-old Naral Richardson and 27-year-old Joy White, are all expected to be arraigned in Los Angeles today. If convicted, each could potentially face life in prison, Birotte's office said. The plot also allegedly involved a couple of known drug runners.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: tsapervs

1 posted on 04/25/2012 4:34:25 PM PDT by Steelfish
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To: Steelfish

2 posted on 04/25/2012 4:37:25 PM PDT by LostInBayport (When there are more people riding in the cart than there are pulling it, the cart stops moving...)
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To: Steelfish

Ban the TSA. We don’t need them, we don’t want them.


3 posted on 04/25/2012 4:38:12 PM PDT by BCR #226 (02/07 SOT www.extremefirepower.com...The BS stops when the hammer drops.)
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To: Steelfish

Is someone keeping track of the crimes committed by TSA agents? There should be a website logging all this. They really seem to scrape the bottom of the barrel when it comes to hiring.


4 posted on 04/25/2012 4:40:30 PM PDT by ChocChipCookie
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To: BCR #226
Ban the TSA. We don’t need them, we don’t want them.

...and besides, the War on Terror is over. Right?
5 posted on 04/25/2012 4:41:55 PM PDT by ChocChipCookie
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To: BCR #226

Ha. Just you watch. If the Libs win the next election the TSA is going to become MORE powerful, MORE political and will find it’s way into every part of the transportation infrastructure.

Eventually, it will be more militarized, form companies, squads and battalions, and viola — the new Civilian Homeland Defense Corps will be born. Probably get some snappy new uniforms along the way.

Not under DOD, answering solely to the Justice Department and the President, etc., etc., etc...

The precedents are depressingly familiar.


6 posted on 04/25/2012 4:47:10 PM PDT by Ronin (Sarah.... We really need you now!)
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To: ChocChipCookie
They really seem to scrape the bottom of the barrel when it comes to hiring.

Chanel Monticello

7 posted on 04/25/2012 4:54:15 PM PDT by Stentor ("All cults of personality start out as high drama and end up as low comedy.")
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To: ChocChipCookie
I-TEAM : Congressman Canseco says he was assaulted during TSA pat-down

Funny thing is, this "con-gressman" voted for continued appropriations for TSA. I guess he doesn't like being one of the "little people".

8 posted on 04/25/2012 4:57:33 PM PDT by Sarajevo ( Alcohol does not solve any problems, but then again, neither does milk.)
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To: Steelfish

Richardson, the ring leader.

White

McKinney

9 posted on 04/25/2012 4:59:26 PM PDT by USNBandit (sarcasm engaged at all times)
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To: Steelfish

Naral’s screen name is “so hood”, whatever that is supposed to mean.


10 posted on 04/25/2012 5:00:21 PM PDT by SWAMPSNIPER (The Second Amendment, a Matter of Fact, Not a Matter of Opinion)
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To: ChocChipCookie

The other day (Saturday) there was an arrest of two TSA employees at La Guardia airport for pretty much the same thing. I found out about it because my friend is a Port Authority cop who works there. Not a word on the news or in the papers.


11 posted on 04/25/2012 6:30:35 PM PDT by Larry381 ("Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.")
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To: Steelfish

Wonder how much a person has to pay a pedophile or child rapist DHS screener NOT to feel up their 5 year old son or daughter? Or, NOT stealing a 4 year old boys’ worn underwear from the luggage?


12 posted on 04/25/2012 6:33:59 PM PDT by jmax (He thinks the American Dream is a Gov't Motors car in every garage and a DOG in every pot.)
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To: USNBandit
Do they do background investigations on their hires? I mean, did these three go from clean as the new-fallen snow, to drug trafficking, after the TSA hired them? Hard to believe.

Face Palm.

13 posted on 04/25/2012 7:21:27 PM PDT by FlyVet
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