Queens, NY – Five JFK Bag Handlers Charged With Theft

Queens, NY – – Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, United States Postal Inspector in Charge Philip R. Bartlett and Port Authority Police Department Chief Security Officer Joseph Dunne announced today that five baggage handlers employed by JFK International Airport, whose responsibilities included loading U.S. mail onto international flights leaving the country, were charged with theft.

A press release published by Queens District Attorney’s office (http://bit.ly/1fe4zuF) states the defendants have been identified as Anthony Austin, 26, of Queens;  Ariel Weaver, 29, also from Queens; Michael Williams, 29, of Brooklyn; Alexander Fluellen, 29, of Brooklyn; and Samuel Wright, 31, of Brooklyn, were all arraigned in Queens Criminal Court yesterday.

Charges include third- and-fourth grand larceny, third, fourth and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, petit larceny and first and second-degree forgery. Fluellen, Wright and Weaver have been released without bail. Austin is being held on $5,000 bail. Defendant Williams is being held pending arraignment.

The defendants are accused of theft between July 2013 and February 2014. Accusations include depositing checks meant for people in Japan, China and Korea into their own bank accounts and stealing credit cards and using them to purchase a variety of electronics at Best Buy stores in the airport.

A joint investigation was started by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Port Authority Police Department after numerous reports of theft of checks, credit cards and money orders from U.S. mail were reported.

The combined thefts purportedly total more than $27,000.