Hall of Shame New Inductee

Air travel is increasingly more cumbersome. As if long lines, higher prices, and more luggage restrictions weren’t bad enough, now add on the fear that your expensive camera equipment might get swiped.

Earlier this week, Pythias Brown, a six-year veteran of the TSA, was charged with dozens of counts of theft from passengers at Newark Liberty International Airport, and faces up to 10 years in Federal Prison according to Assistant US Attorney Jenny Kramer.

Brown was caught because of his alleged theft of a camera from an HBO crew, valued at $47,900. Brown had listed the camera on eBay (A camera Brown had allegedly stolen from CNN was also listed on eBay at the same).

According to lead investigator Special Agent Thomas Adams, of the US Department of Homeland Security's Office of the Inspector General, 66 cameras, 12 GPS units, 11 MP3 players, 31 laptops, 8 camera lenses, 2 DVD players, 6 video cameras, 13 pieces of jewelry and 17 electronic video games were found in Browns house when it was raided last week.

Faced with this evidence Brown has confessed to the crimes, and has been placed on administrative leave from the TSA and will be terminated shortly.

Read more at Flying with Fish, a blog dedicated to the flying photographer.
—Kathleen Davis
Assistant Editor