Posted on 10/10/2012 4:24:50 AM PDT by Renfield
A former TSA worker has pleaded guilty to stealing over $500 in cash from a man who complained about the TSA’s invasive pat down procedure, with the TSA agent admitting the theft was a punishment for the man’s lack of obedience.
60-year-old John W. Irwin pleaded guilty to one count of grand larceny following an incident in November 2011, during which a man asked that he be given a pat down rather than face a body scanner due to a medical condition.
When TSA agents ordered the man undergo the pat down in a private room, he complained but agreed to do so.
The man placed $520 in cash in a gray plastic bin before accompanying the TSA agents to the private room. When he returned, the money was gone, with Irwin having hidden it in a TSA supervisor’s draw.
When the man asked Irwin where the cash had gone, Irwin claimed ignorance and the incident was subsequently reported to the police.
After first denying to police that he had stolen the money, Irwin later admitted he had put the cash in his locker as a form of punishment in retaliation for the man complaining over his treatment.
“When the passenger returned and I saw that it was the passenger who had given my fellow employees a hard time. I just didn’t let on that I had the money,” Irwin said in a statement to police.
“The TSA’s spokesliars have long insisted that employees never, ever retaliate, nor do they punish dissidents -- though every passenger fearing he'll miss his flight if he so much as sighs while thugs grope him would vehemently disagree. Now here's a goon admitting he did just that,” writes Becky Akers.
Indeed, as we have previously highlighted, travelers are routinely punished for opting out of the body scanner by being subjected to more invasive pat downs.
As Consumer Traveler's Charlie Leocha reported, "When meeting with privacy officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and TSA later that month, I was told unofficially that there were two standards of pat-downs. One for the normal situation where passengers are going through metal detectors and a different pat-down for those who refuse to go through the whole-body scanners."
"With this latest announcement, TSA admits that it has been clandestinely punishing passengers for refusing to go through the invasive whole-body scans with an even more intrusive aggressive pat-down and that soon those more invasive pat-down will creep from airport to airport," adds Leocha.
During the height of the national op-out day backlash against the TSA in 2010, the Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg was told by a TSA agent directly that pat downs were made increasingly invasive not for any genuine security reason, but to make the experience so uncomfortable for the traveler that they would be forced to use the body scanner.
Even being seen to display a “bad attitude” in not instantly complying with the TSA’s obedience training can lead to trouble.
As we reported last month, a TSA screener admitted to a woman traveling through Houston Airport that she was prevented from boarding her flight for retaliatory reasons as punishment for a bad attitude rather than any genuine security threat, after the woman refused to allow TSA agents to test her drink for explosives.
Journalists who have been critical of the TSA have also been targeted for reprisals. CNN reporter Drew Griffin was also put on a TSA watch list immediately after he filed reports critical of the organization back in 2008.
John W. Irwin is set to be sentenced in December. _
Whenever I travel with a lot of $100s, I photocopy them onto my iPhone in a PDF.....at least it's on-site proof if you can finger a TSA thief to on-site police.....
“... was punishment for the man’s lack of OBEDIENCE”. Says it all, doesn’t it?!
If Romney promised to ban the TSA he would win all 50 states.
“Whenever I travel with a lot of $100s, I photocopy them onto my iPhone in a PDF.....at least it’s on-site proof if you can finger a TSA thief to on-site police.....”
Good idea
From experience - TSA are the most under-trained - unskilled - and have no place doing the job for which they are hired for. I remember in Reagan International - there was a TSA female who had such long finger nails she had to slide my ticket off the counter just to pinch it to look at it with my ID...she was sitting to - not standing...these TSA personnel are not professional looking - and do not act in any professional manner — they are the least qualified people to do this job...
I recommend US Military Police personnel from all branches perform this job - armed and uniformed for instance recognized presence and the professionalism will follow! Plus having K9 patrols throughout the airports sniffing bags as people wait...it’s just how its done — and until a certain religious culture is no longer able to frequent such ports of entry - this should be the rule!
Why is there no mention of the location ?
Is this the same incident?
No it’s a different TSA agent, different name.
You thought that there could only be one dishonest TSA agent??? I’ve got a bridge to sell you!’’
I respectfully disagree, service members are for one thing, any thing beyond their primary directive (Support & defend the Constitution) is a slap in the face. They are for one reason and one reason only, to that end this abomination that is this POS president and cowardly Congress have earned a trial and committed to the fullest extent of the law for treason.
The TSA, well I am sure that there are jobs for criminals that are befitting their crimes.
My daughter, who has both education and work experience in law enforcement, as well as a minor in Chinese language, and is an expert martial artist, interviewed to be a TSA agent.
The tatooed, mini-skirted, pierced girl that interviewed her told her she didn’t the right qualifications for the job.
your daughter must not look like the 0bama phone girl.
Return the security of the airports to the airports. DO away with the TSA and THEIR UNION. The airports will run it in a professional manner and be able to fire the idiots that the union protects.
I recommend US Military Police personnel from all branches perform this job - armed and uniformed for instance recognized presence and the professionalism will follow!
I just finished reading a story about a woman, dying from lukemia, taking her last trip to hawaii, in a wheelchair with feeding and other tubes in her body...
The tsa bastards asked her to lift up her shirt to examine her TUBES... she asked for a private room and was REFUSED!!
she had to lift up her shirt, and pull off the bandages so the nazi’s could see where her tubes went in...
Then, they took one of her bags of saline solution and CUT IT OPEN!!!!
the tsa nazi’s denied any wrongdoing, and insisted that they would have done a private search if she asked...
what a load of pure evil crap..
unionized thugs that cannot be disciplined or fired, along with incompetent inept so called leadership..
Fire everyone above line worker, and replace them with people that have IQ’s that actually reach the double digits, then start firing the line workers for ANY strong arm tactic they try to use..
government workers, no accountablity, no intellegence, and a belligerent attitude that comes from entitlement..
Confirmation, once again, of my decision some years back to never fly again. Drive and enjoy our beautiful country.
Is it just me or are the articles on the TSA miscreants going to great lengths not to show an actual PHOTO of said miscreant(s). . .?
It will be interesting to see if Irwin gets real jail time or a suspended sentence with some eye wash community service.
Yes, he would.
scariest phrase and word in the whole article.
I read the same article. Made me sick that a dying woman had to endure such treatment.
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