By Michael V. Cusenza
The trial of two men charged with stealing a fat bag of cash containing more than $250,000 from John F. Kennedy International Airport kicked off in earnest this week in Brooklyn federal court.
According to federal prosecutors, Quincy Thorpe, 44, a former Delta baggage handler from Brooklyn, and Emmanuel Okon, 37, a Springfield Gardens resident, are charged with conspiracy to steal cargo and cargo theft in connection with the theft of a bag containing approximately $258,205 in currency being shipped from JFK Airport to Miami by Loomis, a security and cash handling company. Thorpe allegedly stole the money on the tarmac while the plane was being loaded. Okon, who was a friend of Thorpe’s, allegedly smuggled it out of JFK. They are charged with conspiracy to steal cargo and both are free on bond.
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia/Jericho
The pair is charged with swiping $258,205 in currency being shipped from JFK to Miami.
According to the criminal complaint, on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2019, a security company transported in an armored vehicle eight bags, which contained bulk cash in United States and foreign currency, from a facility at JFK Airport. Employees of a separate company authorized to operate at JFK Airport brought the eight bags to a Delta Airways aircraft located at Gate C-70. There, Thorpe, an employee of Delta Ground Services, scanned and loaded bags into Delta Airways Flight 1225, bound for Miami, Fla.
Security surveillance allegedly shows Thorpe scanning and loading some of the eight bags onto Flight 1225—except the stolen bag. Thorpe then allegedly moved the high-value parcel to a Delta van. Thorpe allegedly was later seen on surveillance footage hopping into said van. The Delta vehicle then left the airport secured area of operations and proceeded to another unsecured area of the JFK. Between 9 and 9:30 a.m., a blue Nissan Sentra, allegedly driven by Okon, arrived and pulled up behind the van. Approximately two minutes later, both vehicles exited the lot and drove in separate directions.
On Sunday, Sept 29, law enforcement officials searched the Sentra and found an envelope containing a transfer manifest belonging to the security company and a Delta Air Waybill for Flight 1225.
