• Logout
  • Member Center

AIRPORT SECURITY

TSA agent accused of selling stolen property from luggage on Craigslist

 

Police arrested transit security worker Michael Pujol and his wife on charges of listing items from passengers’ luggage and selling them on Craigslist.

aleon@MiamiHerald.com

Police arrested a TSA worker at Miami International Airport after investigators say he stuffed goods from passengers’ luggage inside a hidden pocket in his work jacket.

Michael Pujol, 33, was arrested Thursday after an iPad he is accused of stealing was traced to a Craigslist sale. He was charged with grand theft and dealing in stolen property. His wife, Betsy Pujol Salazar, also was arrested and faces the same charges.

Pujol has been suspended from duty. The couple were released Friday on bond. A Feb. 17 trial date has been set.

Miami-Dade Detective Steve Kaufman said Pujol’s secret pocket was large enough to conceal a device as big as a laptop.

The pocket is not a part of the uniform, Kaufman said.

“We examined another TSA jacket and that pocket was specifically added,” he said.

Pujol Salazar admitted that she and her husband had taken items stolen from luggage and sold them on Craigslist for the last three years.

Steven Cu, 30, of Miami, noticed the contents in his suitcase were in disarray when he arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Dec. 23.

The wrapping paper had been ripped from a laptop and three iPads that he was taking as Christmas gifts for family members.

“I was in shock,’’ said Cu, who saw that the boxes were still there. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is how they inspect their packages?’ ”

On closer inspection, he discovered two of the three iPads were gone.

Before Christmas, he replaced the iPads.

“I was worried. I had to rush to stores and make sure they still had them in stock,” Cu said.

Pujol, 33, a baggage screener, was arrested after one of Cu’s stolen iPads was traced back to his wife, who had sold it on Craigslist.

Pujol also was charged another count of grand theft for stealing an iPad from another passenger back in August.

During questioning, Pujol admitted stealing the device, saying he did it to provide for his family of five.

This is not the first time that a TSA agent has been caught stealing property from passengers. In July, Nelson Santiago, 30, was charged with stealing an iPad at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Santiago, who stuffed the tablet in his pants, admitted to stealing passengers’ stuff and selling it online.

Although Cu has filed claims with the airline and the airport, the most important thing for him is making sure it doesn’t happen again.

“They should have more accountability to see what’s really going on behind the scenes,” Cu said. “You can’t just go through people’s luggage and take things.”

dealsaver
The Miami Herald: Subscribe now!

Join the discussion

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

We have introduced a new commenting system called Disqus for our articles. This allows readers the option of signing in using their Facebook, Twitter, Disqus or existing MiamiHerald.com username and password.

Having problems? Read more about the commenting system on MiamiHerald.com.

Hide Comments

This affects comments on all stories.

Cancel OK
0 comments

  • Videos

  • Quick Job Search

Enter Keyword(s) Enter City Select a State Select a Category