Two former Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers based at John F. Kennedy Airport have been sentenced after pleading guilty to third-degree grand larceny and other charges after stealing$40,000 in cash from a piece of checked baggage.
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown’s office identified the defendants as Coumar Persad, 44, of 89-50 56th Avenue in Jackson Heights, and Davon Webb, 31, of 4393 Barnes Avenue, in the Bronx. Last October both pleaded guilty to third-degree grand larceny, second-degree obstructing governmental administration and official misconduct.
This week they were sentenced to six months in jail and five years’ probation before Queens Supreme Court Justice Fernando M. Camacho.
Both defendants admitted that while Persad was x-raying a piece of luggage he noticed what looked like a bag of cash inside. He phoned Webb, who was in a baggage belt area of American Airlines, and told him about the cash. Webb searched the luggage when it reached him and marked it with tape.
Webb told Persad that the money was indeed in the now-marked luggage, after which Persad proceeded to the baggage handling area where he found and opened the taped bag, finding approximately $170,000 cash inside. He proceeded to remove some money from the bag, put it in a box and go to a nearby bathroom. It was there he met up with his cohort Webb. The two men each took money and hid it in their clothing.
According to authorities, another TSA agent reported the matter to his supervisor who went to Port Authority Police with the information.
Both men admitted to stealing the money and gave Port Authority police officers permission to search their homes, where the money was recovered. Officers found $23,980.00 at Persad’s home. He told the police he took $20 to buy food. There was $16,000 in cash found at Webb’s home.
