The last thing the Transportation Security Administration needs at this point is more bad publicity. But bad publicity is precisely what is coming out of a Newark courtroom. There on Tuesday, a former supervisor at Newark International Airport was sentenced to 30 months in prison for accepting kickbacks from a coworker who allegedly stole money regularly from passengers during security screenings.
The man in question, Michael Arato, had previously pleaded guilty to charges of theft by a government officer.
While on the job at an airport security checkpoint between September 2009 and October 2010, Arato looked the other way as a subordinate helped himself to between $10,000 and $30,000 in cash from travelers. In exchange for his cooperation, Arato received a portion of the stolen loot.
Video surveillance captured Arato taking approximately $3,100 in bribes from the subordinate, Al Raimi, who himself pleaded guilty in February. Raimi’s sentencing is scheduled for September.
In addition, Arato confessed to having regularly stolen directly from passengers traveling through his checkpoint.
U.S. District Judge Jose L. Linares, who handed down Arato’s sentence, also ordered that serve three years of supervisory release and pay $24,150 in restitution to the victims of his crime.
As for bad publicity, Newark Airport is itself no stranger. In April it was reported that the airport had been the site of numerous security lapses, along with New York's other two main airports, JFK and LaGuardia.
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