A passenger flying into New Orleans last week opened his suitcase at baggage claim and found the zipper torn and an $80,000 watch missing, setting off an investigation that ended with two airport baggage handlers under arrest.
The incident took place at Louis Armstrong International Airport, where the traveler had flown in from Los Angeles. According to the New York Post, the passenger noticed immediately that his luggage had been tampered with: the zipper was ripped open in a way that suggested forced entry. A quick check of the contents confirmed his worst fear, a Patek Philippe Nautilus watch, valued at $79,050, was gone.
He filed a police report on the spot, and investigators from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office moved quickly. They pulled security camera footage from the airport's operational areas, where baggage handlers work out of public view. The video gave them what they needed: two employees of the airline that had carried the passenger's flight were seen going through his suitcase.
Thaddeus Porter, 42, and Maurice Robinson, 18 both worked as baggage handlers and had access to checked luggage as part of their jobs. Authorities took them into custody the same day the theft occurred and booked them into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center.
They were charged with felony theft over $25,000, according to court records. Despite the severity of the charge, both men were released the following day after each posted $25,000 bail. Neither Porter nor Robinson has commented publicly on the allegations, and representatives for both have declined to respond to requests for comment.
