WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2005

DA BROWN: TWO TSA SCREENERS AT JFK AIRPORT CHARGED WITH STEALING NYC FIREFIGHTER’S WALLET FROM LUGGAGE
Allegedly Withdrew $3,200 From Victim’s Bank Account and Used Credit and Debit Cards to Make Purchases

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, joined by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Director of Public Safety/Superintendent of Police, Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr., announced today that two Transportation Security Administration agents assigned to John F. Kennedy International Airport have been charged with stealing the wallet from baggage belonging to a New York City firefighter who was on his way to Miami to help the victims of Hurricane Wilma. The defendants are accused of stealing $3,200 from the victim’s bank account and making numerous purchases with the victim’s credit and debit cards.

District Attorney Brown said, “The defendants are accused of betraying their oath to protect our nation’s air transportation system and the trust of the thousands of dedicated TSA agents who faithfully carry out their duties each day. It is particularly troubling that individuals responsible for ensuring the safety and security of our nation’s airlines and protecting us from terrorism would engage in the egregious conduct that this investigation has uncovered.”

Superintendent Plumeri said, “This is another example of law enforcement agencies working together to prevent criminal activity at area airports and it shows that this kind of activity will not be tolerated.”

The District Attorney identified the defendants as Ronniki Ack, 23, of 1317 East 54th Street in Brooklyn, and Yvette Reynolds, 35, of 117-32 142nd Place in Jamaica, Queens. Both defendants, who have been TSA baggage screeners assigned to JFK Airport for the past three years, have been charged with Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property in the Fourth Degree and Official Misconduct. If convicted, they each face up to seven years in prison.

The District Attorney said that, on November 7, 2005 at at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s American Airlines Terminal 9, the defendants are alleged to have taken a wallet contained in the luggage of a 46-year-old male passenger on an American Airlines flight en route to Miami, Florida. The wallet contained the passenger’s New York City Fire Department identification card and badge, and a Bank of America Visa credit card and a North Fork Bank debit card – both bearing his name and the debit card bearing his pin number regarding a bank account which contained approximately $6,000.

Specifically, it is alleged that Reynolds, after removing the wallet, approached Ack and urged her to go shopping. Using the victim’s debit card, Ack is alleged to have withdrawn cash from an ATM machine on Fulton Street in Brooklyn and bought clothes for Reynold’s son and additional purchases at Macy’s. It is additionally charged that Ack made over $1,800 in purchases of health and beauty aids, cosmetics, clothing and food, and, using the victim’s credit card, made a $1,000 cash withdrawal, which she shared with Reynolds.

The District Attorney said that it is additionally alleged that on November 7, 2005 the defendants went to a Valley Stream Circuit City store and used the victim’s Visa card to purchase a $200 gift card. Two weeks later, on November 20, 2005, the defendant Reynolds and Ack used the gift card – bearing the name Michelle Stevens – to purchase an I-Pod at a Circuit City in Westbury, Long Island.

District Attorney Brown said that the investigation began after the victim arrived to Miami and discovered his wallet was missing from his luggage. He made a complaint to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department. PAPD detectives reviewed surveillance tapes of the screening areas, as well as surveillance tapes from the Westbury Circuit City store, and determined that the two defendants were allegedly involved in the theft.

District Attorney Brown said that the defendants were arrested yesterday by PAPD detectives at JFK Airport Terminal 9 after their tour of duty and arraigned earlier today in front of Queens Criminal Court Judge Lenora Gerald who set bail of $10,000 and a return date of December 28, 2005.

According to the Transportation Security Administration, TSA agents are authorized to open and search luggage for contraband, explosives, hazardous materials and other banned items and to place inside the luggage a notice of inspection form advising the passenger that the bag had been opened and inspected. The Transportation Security Administration was created by legislation on November 19, 2001 in response to air safety and security concerns stemming from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The investigation was conducted by Port Authority Police Department Detective James Wyka under the supervision of Sergeant Boris Perdomo and Lieutenant William Hanley and the overall supervision of Inspector John Kassimatis, Commanding Officer of JFK Airport and Superintendent Samuel J. Plumeri, Jr.

Assistant District Attorney Daniel J. O’Leary of the District Attorney’s Integrity Bureau is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys James M. Liander, Bureau Chief, and Carmencita N. Gutierrez, Deputy Bureau Chief, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Linda M. Cantoni.

It should be noted that criminal complaints are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.