Kennedy Airport just keeps on earning it’s reputation as one of the worst airports in the world.
Seven luggage handlers at JFK Airport allegedly snatched up more than $20,000 in iPads, MacBooks, laptops and even a pair of two-carat diamond gold earrings from travelers’ checked bags, authorities said.
The airport employees worked at Terminals 4 and 7, which have arriving and departing flights from places like Japan, Hawaii, Johannesburg, London, Bangkok, Dubai, Milan and cities in the US, the Queens DA’s Office said.
They carried the scheme out between March 2012 and June 2014 and sold the stolen items to a pawn shop.
Five of the workers contacted a “fence,” or undercover cop, and named their prices, set up meeting spots at the airport or nearby and even made promises about other goods they could swipe.
The accused crooks are Khaleed Maynard, 28, Sheldon Theodore, 22, and Ryan Phillips, 35, who worked for Swissport at Terminal 4; Levi Miller, 47, Romero Hendricks, 30, and Tihafade Esdaile, 29, who were employed by Aircraft Services International Group at Terminal 4; and Keston Austin, 31, who worked for G.S.I. at Terminal 7.
The group of baggage bandits isn’t the brightest bunch.
Theodore allegedly donned his orange reflective vest during at least two meetings with the “fence,” authorities said. During several other meetings between October 2013 and January 2014, the Queens man sold a stolen Samsung Galaxy tablet, Toshiba laptop and an Apple MacBook and promised to have a new Samsung 5S cell phone by the end of the day.
Meanwhile, Phillips was nabbed when a passenger flying to South Africa last May noticed his iPad was missing and contacted police, which used GPS to track the tablet back to Phillips in the vicinity of the airport.
The dimwit also told cops he’d been using an iPhone he stole from a different bag as his personal cell phone and admitted to stealing belongings over a period of four years.
Cops recovered the diamond earrings – allegedly stolen by Austin in April 2012 – at a Queens pawn shop, which also purchased several iPads from the airport worker.
New York State Police, the FBI and Port Authority led the investigation into the thefts.
All seven are awaiting arraignment on grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property charges in Queens Criminal Court this afternoon.
If convicted, defendants Theodore, Phillips, Miller, Hendricks and Esdaile face up to 4 years in prison, while Maynard and Austin face up to 7 years.
“The defendants have been caught redhanded and will now face the consequences of their alleged illegal acts,” said Queens DA Richard Brown.