WCNYH

Former TSA Screener Convicted of Stealing from Airline Passengers Denied Registration as a Warehouseman

August 20, 2018

Today, the Commission denied the application of Pythias Brown, 56, of Burlington, New Jersey for inclusion in the Waterfront Commission Register as a Warehouseman. Following a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), the Commission found that Brown had been convicted of a disqualifying felony, Theft from Interstate Shipments, after stealing more than $800,000 worth of property from unsuspecting airline passengers while employed as a Transportation Security Administration screener at Newark Liberty Airport. In addition, the Commission found that Brown’s presence on the waterfront constitutes a danger to the public peace or safety due to his felony conviction and also because he committed fraud, deceit or misrepresentation on both his sworn application and in a sworn interview with the Commission when he failed to disclose his arrest for a weapons offense.

The ALJ presiding over the hearing noted that Brown “lacked candor” and presented “incredible” testimony in multiple instances when testifying about his criminal history. After considering the entire record, the Commission adopted the ALJ’s findings and his recommendation to deny Brown’s application for registration as a Warehouseman.