TSA agent steals $200K worth of gear, resells it on eBay

Tue Oct 14, 2008 6:43PM EDT

See Comments (205)

The TSA reached a mind-boggling new low in customer service this week when it was revealed that one agent had single-handedly absconded with over $200,000 worth of travelers' belongings, primarily cameras and laptops, and proceeded to unload his booty on eBay. His latest haul: A near-$50,000 camera that an HBO employee had been traveling with.

The culprit is one Pythias Brown, a New Jersey resident who worked in the TSA department at Newark Liberty Airport. Finally busted, police discovered an inventory of 66 cameras, 31 laptops, assorted jewelry, and more when they searched his home. How'd he finally get caught? Brown snagged a camera belonging to CNN, and they found it for sale on eBay, where Brown had been converting the gear into cash.

Brown's been doing a great job of it too, with a near-perfect feedback rating on eBay.

Of note: Brown appears to have been taking items from checked luggage in the back rooms of the airport, not carry-ons. (One has to imagine you'd notice your $50,000 camera was missing after it came off the x-ray line.) But since consumers are no longer allowed to lock their luggage (or, at least, the TSA is allowed to break those locks as it sees fit), travelers have no real means of protection when it comes to guarding against inside job thievery like this.

What do you do if you need to get something expensive from point A to point B but can't carry it on the plane? Advance shipping through FedEx and the like seems like the only real solution: At least with shipping carriers you can insure the package against damage and theft. But sadly, your contract with the airlines absolves them of virtually all liability when things like this happen.

Another good reason to ship instead of check a bag? Given that airlines now charge up to a whopping $250 for a checked bag, it may now actually be cheaper to have FedEx pick up your stuff at your house and drop it at your destination. How's that for progress?

Comments on TSA agent steals $200K worth of gear, resells it on eBay

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  • 186 Posted by tomcib1 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:15PM EDT Report Abuse

    Gee, maybe if I see a bomb on EBay, I'll know where it came from!

  • 187 Posted by dwcutler on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    I have been mailing my checked luggage. It is cheaper than some of the airline fees and I have more faith in the USPS than TSA.

  • 188 Posted by paladinjlw on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    I used to work for TSA in Indianapolis, the initial wave of epmployees truly cared about protecting our country. Many like myself quickly realized what a farce the TSA was becoming and quit. There is nothing minimum wage about TSA in Indy, I was making over $14.00 an hour when I left. By they way TSA at Indianapolis International had several employees caught stealing from checked bags, one went so far as to steal a championship ring from a professional athlete.

  • 189 Posted by warren.skidmore on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    OK PEOPLE......RELAX! I WORK FOR TSA AND WE HAVE 50,000 EMPLOYEES WITH ONLY A HANDFULL OF BAD APPLES.I WONDER WHAT OTHER INDUSTRIES CAN BOAST FOR THEIR HONESTY RECORDS?WE ARE DOING SOMETHING TO RECTIFY THIS.IN BACK ROOM CHECKED BAG AREAS,CAMERAS AND TIME STAMPED CARDS ARE BEING IMPLIMENTED.ALSO AMONG TSA, IF YOU ARE A THIEF, YOU ARE A PARIAH!REMEMBER THE ALTERNATIVE...A BOMB BEING SMUGGLED IN CHECKED BAGS AND YOUR PLANE BEING BLOWN OUT OF THE SKY AT 30,000 FT.OK!LETS NOT FORGET WHAT THE ----- S WOULD LOVE TO DO.AT MY AIRPORT EVERY TIME WE OPEN A BAG IT IS ON FILM AND TIME STAMPED AND DOCUMENTED.IF ANYTHING IS ASKEW, IT WILL BE TRACED DIRECTLY BACK TO ME AND I WILL BE INTERROGATED!AND AS FAR AS LOCKS, USE A TSA APPROVED LOCK, PURCHASED AT ANY AIRPORT GIFTSHOP...WE HAVE THE MASTER KEYS AND THERE WILL BE A TIME STAMPED CARD IN YOUR BAG INDICATING WE OPENED IT :-)

  • 190 Posted by web2newyork on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    I had a laptop stolen from a checked bag at Newark in 2000 on a Lufthansa flight. Could that have been the same guy?

  • 191 Posted by caroletavel on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    I notice that a lot of people are carrying their bags to the gate and then handing them to the airlines to store during flight and pick up when getting off the plane. This avoids the baggage charge, but if your bag is really heavy, you might have to lug it up stairs and, of course, haul it through security. C

  • 192 Posted by celestarhk on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:20PM EDT Report Abuse

    In 2006, I, as a business traveller from Taiwan to US, was tired of 4 hours of computer working, decide to stuff my notebook, a Dell model into the checked bag, after clearing US custom in LAX, bound for Houston, my final destination. I lost my notebook and my checked bag was stuffed some woman's toiled bag instead. I feel that US government, especially the home security bureau or TSA, brought shame to your country. This is day light robbery, putting the credibility of US as a country into the third world class category. Why can't TSA agents, while performing the necessary security check, be under the camera survey so that their conduct does not constitute to robbery? Security is important but not like this. Someone has to do something about this please. For foreign travellers to US, we do not have the luxury of Fed Exp things. Shame.

  • 193 Posted by gypsygirl247 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:15PM EDT Report Abuse

    The racist on here keep making comments about Obama. BUSH is the biggest thief in American History. He started this TSA bullcrap and was probably getting a cut from this and every TSA worker that steals. Along with his cut from the high gas prices!! We have all been raped by Bush the last 8 years...I know I am poorer now than I was 8 years ago. No wonder these people steal. Not saying its right, but we should go after the ring leader!

  • 194 Posted by mypvtjoy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    It seems to me that it would behoove the airlines (since they are already hurting financially) to beef up their background checks on these people to prevent further alienation from consumers. We should also be able to not only hold the airlines accountable, but the agent should be responsible for financial restitution as well as facing some time in jail. When customers feel safer with the people they interact with at a service point, they are more likely to return. I am with the blogger who said that such incidences are driving people away from flying. Recently, my friend and I were heading to Vegas and when he opted to drive instead of fly, I was relieved. I could lock my luggage when leaving it in the room, and did not have the added concern about what was happening to my favorite pair of designer shoes or whatever else was in my bag while in the hands of TSA. The next time I have to fly - Fed Ex, here I come!

  • 195 Posted by ddino_v on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:39PM EDT Report Abuse

    Gee, looks like TSA has a new meaning "Top Selling Articles". We have stooped to a new low. Makes any TSA that does his / her job seriously look bad. Weed these people out. TSA needs its own internal affairs unit. Sounds like we should be running counter intel on all TSA 24 / 7.

  • 196 Posted by luvcash10 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    And these are the same toolboxes who are our line of defense to prevent another terrorist getting on an airplane...how scary is this scenario?

  • 197 Posted by miconelson on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    As an animal health professional I ask routinely about my clients' profession, and all TSA and airline employees get slapped with a 150% surcharge over and above the total bill. It's been this way for the past two years; this is just my way of saying thank you to these fine, upstanding folks, and I really don't care if they come back or not. I would suggest other private business owners consider adopting the same policy. It IS legal, and really, this puts us all on the same page ethically as the TSA and the airlines, and this might send a message if enough people follow suit. Folks, we know the US government isn't about to do a thing about any of this. ACT!

  • 198 Posted by hartantoj on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:16PM EDT Report Abuse

    I personally hate the TSA and I'm sure that a lot of people would agree with me. I think that the TSA has too much power in the airports and as a person who travels pretty regularly, many of the TSA agents that I have dealt with have been very rude and inconsiderate of the people they are supposed to be protecting. TSA agents are given too much power and without having to earn it. If the TSA wants respect from people then they should start showing more courtesy and be more polite instead of making themselves feel better by ordering people around in the airports. ----- the TSA!

  • 199 Posted by alexshiri on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:50PM EDT Report Abuse

    and he will be out of jail in 6-9 months..... welcome to America land of opportunity!!!!!!

  • 200 Posted by trueanalog2005 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:22PM EDT Report Abuse

    TSA workers are examples of Americas lowest paid, under-educated, highest nepitistic employment agency and sadly they are America's 1st line of terrorist filter network? America taxpayers pay 100's of billions of dollars for a war we don't need and 9.00 an hour for arrogant, low class TSA workers to filter terrorists and steal our luggage!

  • 201 Posted by greg_wilsons on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:13PM EDT Report Abuse

    TSa is nothing but a bunch of worthless trash that collects a paycheck... they do nothing for the safety of airline user's and they rthink they have the right to beat people up for no reason at all.

  • 202 Posted by kayem31 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    Lose your personal liberties and your valuables too. Add to your report wallets and valuables stolen by TSA employees during searches that are ordained by law and draconianally enforced. Protest or complain -- you have already read about passengers that died as result of harrasment at the hands of TSA employees. Unknown and unreported are those insulted and harrased by TSA employees with impunity. Now we know what it must heve been under Stalin's Russia. Want to see it first hand, travel by air. Long live democracy.

  • 203 Posted by firemanswife3826@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:00PM EDT Report Abuse

    I haven't traveled on a plane in years, but I have had my suitcase lost for a week before I got it back, just in time for my return flight!

  • 204 Posted by manny390 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:05PM EDT Report Abuse

    Just today, 1/3/09, 4 music CDs were stolen by TSA screeners at Miami Int. Airport. Bag was marked as "opened for inspection" and the CDs are missing. It is unfortunate that we the people helped put this TSA mess in place are helpless to do anything about it.

  • 205 Posted by borillion_star on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:11PM EDT Report Abuse

    why are all the thiefs getting employed at the TSA, I hope the cops and EBAY are contacting and tracking down all buyers about the goods he sold and returning them to the rightful owners and eBay is refunding the people who received stolen property. I would hold EBAY and the TSA responsible for this, the TSA is a joke

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