30-year-old Nelson Santiago-Serrano, a former Transportation Security Administration worker at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, has been charged with two counts of grand theft. The Broward Sheriff's Office accuse Santiago of stealing more than $50,000 worth of electronics from passenger luggage over the past six months.
How was he finally caught, you might be wondering? Apparently a Continental Airlines employee caught him in the act of extracting an Apple iPad from a passenger's luggage and stuffing it down his pants. Somehow the former TSA agent thought that nobody would notice that he had a 9.5-inch tablet stuck in his trousers.
Broward detectives say that Santiago would immediately take a photo of his stolen electronics and put them up for sale online, even before his shift ended. The devices include computers, GPS devices, cameras and, of course, trouser-sized iPads.
This isn't the first time a TSA agent has been caught stealing from passenger luggage, so we suggest locking your bags and checking your inventory throughout your trip. More importantly, be on the lookout for TSA agents that resemble Spongebob Squarepants if you suddenly can't find your iPad.