Mercer County Security Supervisor Pleads Guilty To Theft From Passengers At Newark Airport
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - A security screening supervisor at Newark Liberty International Airport has admitted accepting bribes and kickbacks from a co-worker who stole money from passengers during security screenings.
Forty-one-year-old Michael Arato of Ewing also admitted Monday in federal court in Newark that he regularly stole from passengers who went through his checkpoint in Terminal B.
Prosecutors say Arato permitted a worker he supervised to steal between $10,000 and $30,000 in cash from travelers' bags over a 13-month period. In exchange, the subordinate would give a portion of the money to Arato. The subordinate, who was not named, cooperated with the federal investigation that led to Arato's arrest in October.
At sentencing May 24, Arato faces a maximum potential sentence of 15 years in prison, although the actual penalty may be less under federal sentencing guidelines.
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