TSA screener accused of stealing iPads from passengers' bags at JFK Airport

[IDemo]

Source: NBC News

NEW YORK -- A Transportation Security Administration screener was arrested on charges he swiped iPads and other electronic devices from passengers' luggage at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport, authorities said.

Port Authority spokesman Steven Coleman said Wednesday that 32-year-old Sean Henry, of Brooklyn, was nabbed in a sting operation using decoy bags in cooperation with the TSA.

Coleman said Henry was arrested after leaving work carrying in his backpack two planted iPads and other electronic devices. Coleman said stolen items were also found in Henry's home.

The 10-year veteran of the federal agency was arrested on charges of grand larceny and official misconduct.

Read more: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/06/15722725-tsa-screener-accused-of-stealing-ipads-from-passengers-bags-at-jfk-airport?lite

[Panasonic]

1. Now that the workers of the TSA are formally unionized

can they ask for better wages or go on strike? It's only fair that they are happy workers, not miserable workers resorting to theft to have some money on the side.

My guess that even at 10 years, the wages are still stagnant. I know mine certainly hasn't rose in a long time.

[obamanut2012]

15. Low wages doesn't give one a license to steal from people

He wasn't stealing food or medicine, he was stealing iPads.

[JimDandy]

16. Your remark

"...not miserable workers resorting to theft to have some money on the side." does a real disservice to the thousands of other TSA and low wage workers who have never stolen from anyone on the job. The union will surely help raise the wages of TSA workers, but let's not excuse the actions of this predatory thief who was trusted by other low wage workers whose baggage he rifled.

He was in the same position of trust as the low-wage thief who robbed the low-income residents of my great-grandmothers nursing home. No sympathy from me at all.

[xtraxritical]

17. It was probably compulsive theivery by a klepto., not due to low wages at all IMHO.

[slackmaster]

2. I vote for Gulag

[graham4anything]

3. OMG! Someone somewhere is eating a grape from a supermarket before paying for it!

Why is this important?
Did a fireman steal something from someone somewhere today? A cop break a law? A soldier?


Is this suppose to make one say oh all the hard working 9 to 5 hard sweating people working this boring job are bad by implication?

I bet you can name any profession, and find many crimes committed at those jobs

I never heard of a TSA employer shooting someone 41 or 50 times like NYC had happen by their law enforcement

this is stereotyping of the worst kind.

OMG right as we speak, someone is taking a grape in a supermarket and eating it before paying for it

Must mean ALL SUPERMARKET SHOPPERS ARE CORRUPT!!!

[slackmaster]

4. People who are responsible for air travel security should be held to a higher standard than grocers

[SoapBox]

5. Ya know...

I agree.

And at the same time, I'm in a bit of a fog that I'm agreeing with slackmaster.

[graham4anything]

8. Why? It's abuse the TSA is subject to. Judge/jury/executioners

8 billion people have gone through the airports worldwide, there were 3 events where ALL people had the media or a camera. Very interesting, and obvious

I would take 100 times more security and feel safe on a plane, then worry about someone
searching me.

I think we should do a check of all NRA members vs. TSA workers.
Bet the NRA members are dirtier by far.
Let's bring it on.

[slackmaster]

23. Nice Red Herring

The topic of this thread is alleged theft by one TSA worker while on the job. Stealing valuable property that he was entrusted with.

[graham4anything]

30. It's a macguffin (aka McGuffin). This is a classic plot device over much ado about nothing

fiction, a MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin or maguffin) is a plot device in the form of some goal, desired object, or other motivator that the protagonist (and sometimes the antagonist) is willing to do and sacrifice almost anything to pursue, protect or control, often with little or no narrative explanation as to why it is considered so important.

The specific nature of a MacGuffin may be ambiguous, undefined, generic, left open to interpretation, or otherwise completely unimportant to the overall plot. The most common type of MacGuffin is an object, place or person the exact details of which are not integral to the narrative.

However, a MacGuffin can sometimes take a more abstract form, such as money, victory, glory, survival, power, love, or even something that is entirely unexplained, as long as it strongly motivates key characters within the structure of the plot.

Whether the audience should care about or identify with a MacGuffin in a story is open to debate among producers of fiction.

[uppityperson]

38. Seriously. Why would anyone be concerned about a police beating because, after all, it doesn't

happen all that often in the big scheme of things.

Why is it important when security people steal or officers of the peace are brutal? Not at all! right!

[graham4anything]

39. But the cop started out taking one singular grape out of a bag at the supermarket before weighing

Had they dealt with the cop when he took the singular grape then, he wuoldn't still be on the force making any good cop look bad after that grape thief stole in his moonlighting job an IPOD at the airport (read twice if this is confusing.)

the point is, the original article was written by someone with a bias against the tsa
(not the poster who posted it, who might or might not have noticed) but the writer of the
news article itself.

and actually, it has been proven, get rid of the smallest of crimes takes out the people who also think nothing of the most major of crime

had Timid Tim in Oklahoma City lore been arrested BEFORE he arrived for that gun he had
and for the no plate on the car or whatever minor offense he had, he never would have arrived and done what he did, killing all those babies because he was a rightwing extremist anarchist with a really loony CT in his mind that he felt needed avenging.

see the point?
vast majority of small crime is committed by people also doing larger crime

however, what this proves is what I just said
BUT IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ORIGINAL WRITER OF ARTICLE attempting to smear an entire industry or union to further the view of that newspaper article writer, which was not nice to all those hard working folks just earning a days pay at a boring job(and not giving two spits about anyones private parts)

(again I am referring to the newpaper article writer, not the poster)

Case proved.
Maybe OBL started on the road to the darkside by popping a grape in his mouth in the supermarket while just a kid. If not for that proverbial grape, destiny might have shown Mr. OBL to be say IM Pei the world famous builder, instead of a destroyer of architectual landmarks.

[uppityperson]

40. "Information on his lawyer was not immediately available." This is the only bit of article not quote

quoted in OP. I don't see anything that confirms your take of "the original article was written by someone with a bias against the tsa". I see simple reporting of a theft by a TSA person. I see nothing about smearing an entire industry of union in the article.

Aside from CAPS, "case proven" is not proven.

And your attempts to downplay this is something. Your attempts to simply look aside at a crime because, after all, there are larger crimes to go after, is also something. Stawman? Red herring? Something.

[graham4anything]

41. macguffin is the word you are looking for. This article is the same as those against ACORN

The key word in the original article that flashes out is TSA then criminal

It would be subliminal, but it is overt not covert the angle the writer is taking

This is a nothing story not warranting news coverage, but for what overtly the writer wants spun out

Because there are millions of thefts year round
From major stuff like a car theft, to stealing a penny.
Almost all are not written about

This was written 100% solely to put the TSA down. Nothing hidden about it
Because if it had been someone stealing an ipod from a laundry, it wuoldn't have made the paper

Someone stealing an ipod from a supermarket, would not have made the paper
Someone stealing an ipod from a package in a post office, would not have made the paper


Someone wanting to malign the TSA for some stupid conspiracy theory or paranoia against going through the machines because they are hiding something- BINGO, that is what the article was published for.

This reminds me of something-a poll came out today polling republicans saying that
repubs believe ACORN stole the 2012 election.
Never mind that ACORN doesn't exist because of the witchhunt after the 2008 race.
Never mind that ACORN never did anything at all, that maybe one or three people did not do something correct
It was a witchhunt

Same like the McCarthy hearings were that some of my past generation family was blacklisted no longer allowed their good name in Hollywood to write scripts anymore because of it

That is what this writer in the op is doing (the article writer, not the poster who posted it).

Ron Paul for years denied he was a racist, even though his campaign literature was strewn with nasty racial stuff. We all know that Ron actively was his whole life friendly with and courting the John Birch Society and its members. And was a lifetime associate with David Duke.
Ron denied and denied it. But it is known

Bing Crosby's Bob Wallace character said in the holiday movie White Christmas (c)- Everybody has an angle.

The writer above sure indeed does.

maybe a little investigation of the writer of that news article is warranted. Let's see what else he has written and if there is a pattern.

And the red herring is saying I have said this guy should not pay a penalty for doing what he is doing.
never said that. What I said is, why was this article written.

We shall get to the bottom of that in due time.

The word you are looking for is MACGUFFIN.
The theft itself is a MACGUFFIN to get the writer to show the that the TSA is the important word

[uppityperson]

44. And thousands of people get beaten every day. Why focus on police beatings? eom

[geek tragedy]

6. People have to trust TSA screeners with their most intimate details

when traveling--medicine, etc--there are no secrets of what you take with you when you travel.

It's a position that demands the utmost integrity and respect for privacy.

[uppityperson]

10. Are you saying my ipad = a grape? Huh. If so, would you send me a brand new one and I'll give you

the postage and a penny?

[hughee99]

18. Hey, look over here!

It's a straw man.

[graham4anything]

20. No, without security, and the good folk of the TSA, I would be the cowardly lion

[hughee99]

22. Reread the article...

It's a story about a specific person at the TSA who allegedly got caught stealing stuff.

What does the relatively innocuous crime of stealing a grape have to do with it? Nothing.
"Did a fireman steal something from someone somewhere today? A cop break a law? A soldier?" Irrelevant.

"Is this suppose to make one say oh all the hard working 9 to 5 hard sweating people working this boring job are bad by implication?" Nope, and as the article doesn't even SUGGEST anything of the sort, that's your own issue.

"I bet you can name any profession, and find many crimes committed at those jobs" I'm sure you can, not that it matters at all to this story.

"I never heard of a TSA employer shooting someone 41 or 50 times like NYC had happen by their law enforcement". I never heard of a "TSA employer" running an underground cat juggling club either, which is equally relevant to this article.

"this is stereotyping of the worst kind." This story is about ONE SPECIFIC PERSON and events that actually happened, no one suggested anything about what this says about ANYONE else.

"OMG right as we speak, someone is taking a grape in a supermarket and eating it before paying for it. Must mean ALL SUPERMARKET SHOPPERS ARE CORRUPT!!!"

You listed a bunch of things completely irrelevant to the story (that's the "hey, "look over here" part) and then you created an argument (this is a broad brush attack against TSA agents) that wasn't argued in the article, made an absurd comparison to grocery shoppers, and then came to a conclusion that doesn't necessarily follow in an attempt to make your point. I'm pretty sure that's what a straw man is.

[Warpy]

29. But Mom! He did it too!!

Most of us stopped having that one work before we started kindergarten. One wonders why people on DU would think it's a persuasive argument justifying theft by an employee.

The fact that it's been reported at all means it's an unusual occurrence, that most TSA people are honest.

[Posteritatis]

35. Wow, a full-throated defense of stealing from peoples' baggage. Classy. (nt)

[Blue_Tires]

7. He should have been bright enough to see the setup

Like anyone would really put an iPad in their luggage

When going through JFK

[graham4anything]

9. Maybe this person was hired so that it could bad mouth an entire industry

I would investigate the border patrol who shoot innocent people in the back.
AS that has happened, let's get rid of all the border patrol one and all.

[frylock]

25. you're original post went over so well you decided to have another go..

really, what the fuck are you going on about man? are you stealing iPads too? is that why this is so personal to you?

[graham4anything]

28. because you know very well, this ain't about Ipads is it?

This is about the great job the TSA does keeping us safe, except for maybe 2 or 3 people who happened to have media who disproportionately have attempted to smear an entire group

And remember Jason Blair- he took down the NY Times
and a wardrobe malfunction took down Dan Rather

I like looking for the whole story

[Posteritatis]

36. Living in that fear-filled a world must be painful for you. (nt)

[graham4anything]

37. LOL Get rid of the NRA and the world is a most beautiful safe place

[ROBROX]

11. SO WORKING HAS ITS BENEFITS

I remember taking a pen or other thing which would not be missed. I also remember going through junk boxes at work looking for pens and other stuff just to continue my work. This stuff was not high value and it was stuff headed for the dumpster.

Taking other peoples stuff when you are paid to safeguard the stuff is a CRIME. I say roast the bastard and I bet the union helps roast the moron.

I had a government job for 34 years. The retirement and wages are as good or better than normal. There are many people out there who slip and slide during there career. If more people were held accountable or the wages were more deceint then things would be BETTER in our real world.

[graham4anything]

13. Would you believe...as Maxwell smart would say

[img][/img]

a pen could indeed be mightier than a sword

[graham4anything]

12. Of course, this proves, more security is a good thing. or as Joe Tex sang

I gotcha! as Joe Tex sang in the 60s. ah ha ha.

Anyone not doing anything wrong doesn't have to worry. Proves just how great the TSA is!

[rocktivity]

14. He couldn't stop at just one, huh?

Well, Christmas IS coming...


rocktivity

[Archae]

19. People will steal anything.

I've had 3 bicycles stolen, never got them back.
(Helpful hint: 3-number combination locks for bicycles are worthless)

ABC news did an investigation of this TSA thievery, the thief denied it until he was blue in the face, then when an alarm on the IPad was going off proving it was stolen, the jackass blamed his wife.
The TSA fired his sorry ass.

The Post Office every year fires employees who around this time of year steal Christmas cards by the dozens, why? Because they have money or gift cards in them.

I saw a video of a guy stealing Christmas decorations from a lawn, late at night.

[graham4anything]

21. Someone stole my lucky bowling ball once from my trunk.

That year I was too cheap to have a locker and it got stolen.

Didn't follow my own advice in an analogy I posed to the gun fanciers on the gun thread about if
Zimmerman had been packing a bowling ball instead of a gun

[tarheelsunc]

24. Maybe it's the same clown that stole my netbook!

[grahamhgreen]

26. But don't worry, they will NEVER SELL YOUR NUDIE X-RAY PICTURES!!!!

Especially if you're a celeb.

How bout we cut this worthless program to avoid the Fiscal Bluff?

[graham4anything]

31. There we go- this person with a simliar name to mine got why this story has been posted

(NOTE-this person is not me in case someone confuses the same start)

this is not about an ipod

this is an entranceway onto the highway of the real meaning one is wanting to see in the article

otherwise, what occupation the person allegedly committing the theft has, would be 100% irrelevant to the story at all.But it's the direct focus.

The writer of the OP has an angle in this.
(talking about the newspaper writer here, nothing to do with the poster)

the poster indeed might not have made the connection and thought it was a funny human
interest story which it might have been had it not mentioned this chaps profession.

BTW-anyone's dentist has x-ray machines too. So does ones heart doctor.
Does that mean they will steal your i-pod in a piece of luggage?
(who would check an i-pod in a piece of luggage anyhow? Most people would carry it in their hands or wear it around their neck, same with i-phone, same with ipad.
Why would anyone check it and not have access to it? Makes no sense.

oh wait, someone playing mini-golf just took with after 17 holes with the golf ball.
Send out a Tiger alert.

[geek tragedy]

33. People would pay to not look at mine. nt

[Science Geek]

27. Duh

Not a very smart idea to steal anything with internet connected cameras and geo location devices in it.

[albear]

32. Don't fear terrorists

Fear thieving low-life TSA agents

[hrmjustin]

34. Welcome to DU!

[albear]

47. Thanks

Thanks for your welcome Sir. I've been a long time fan of this site since W's first term time and have finally decided to join.

[hrmjustin]

48. Great to have you aboard my friend.

[graham4anything]

42. I just spent time reading 100s and 100s of response comments in the original article

and 99.99% of all comments were anti-TSA spiels

all people with an agenda, an angle against the TSA

the article accomplishes what those here are claiming it doesn't

subliminal it would be if it wasn't so damn transparent

it is a hit job on the TSA

nothing more nothing less

It is like saying 100% of all cops are corrupt because some are
(oh wait, maybe that one could be true, but in the past I wrote something to that effect and their was an uproar in the other direction. Being that i am a not a cop fan.

hmm, could it be that as Bing Crosby's character in White Christmas said, everybody has an angle, and this viewpoint about the TSA suits that angle?

as Arte Johnson says "very interesting....

[Nihil]

43. I just spent time reading all of the replies in this thread ...

... and find it incredibly amusing that someone who has been repeatedly defending both the
individual thief and the agency as a whole uses the phrase "so damn transparent" ...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=280518&sub=trans

[graham4anything]

45. what is your point? I don't back down to mob mentality. Makes me unique I guess.

why would you put a link to my page?

And you do realize that basically all those members were from the John Kerry group last week, when I was 100% against him becoming SOS

or do you mean my 100% anti-gun posts in the gun threads, about the only one of a few willing to constantly stand up to the bullying of the NRA

I am not bullied by group mob mentality who wants to crucify and hang the TSA when billions of people have flown and there were a handful of complaints(all with tv cameras in hand)


so as Bing Crosby stated "everyone has an angle" what's yours?

as for me-YES,
It is easier to just shut up and say nothing, but I choose not to be bullied into silence.

You do realize that the TSA workers are the 99% don't you?

God Bless the Two Janet's. (Reno and Napolitano).

[graham4anything]

46. answer #2...I remember a skit from Saturday Night Live about mob mentality

it was a spoof of the old horror movies

A mob carrying torches went to burn down Frankenstein's castle
they got to the door and the person there convinced them they were at the wrong house

to go up the hill to Dracula's castle
so the mob carrying torches marched in anger to dracula's castle
where they were told they were at the wrong house
and marched to Frankenstein's castle

mob mentalities are what the tea party does.
stereotying all because of one is just so wrong.

It is like drones
would rather have one drone get the one terrorist prior to the war
than have a long war get the one terrorist and kill perhaps a million people

perspective.

[randomtagger]

49. At least

they aren't molesting people. Some people would rather be violated than to have their precious Crapple products stolen.