A TSA agent at a Florida airport was arrested for stealing $50,000 worth of electronics from passengers luggage.

By Jennifer Meckles, Newsy.com

The TSA has been getting some bad press lately. From its invasive pat-downs to radiation from scanners. Now -- an allegedly renegade agent -- stealing electronics from passenger bags, WSVN-TV reports.

"Thirty-year-old Nelson Santiago arrested, police say, he often took iPad out of luggage. Then he snapped a photo. And in a flash the stolen goods were posted for sale online."

The agent was caught stuffing an iPad down his pants by a Continental airlines employee. And apparently -- this wasn't his first grab.

"He had this down to a science. He would take an item, phone, post it on Craigslist and most often it was sold by the time his shift ended," said Dani Moschella of Broward Sheriff's Office in Florida.

Accumulating more than $50,000 in stolen goods in six months, Nelson Santiago was eventually charged with two counts of grand theft and fired.

But according to The Daily Pulp, Santiago is just one of many TSA employees allegedly stealing from travelers.

"In fact, he joins at least six other sticky-fingered TSA crew members who were also recently caught allegedly lifting things from luggage… Around 500 TSA employees have been fired from the agency for theft since its inception in November 2001."

So, what can passengers do if this happens to them? The TSA says -- the best option -- is to just carry-on those valuable items.

"To prevent theft, our employees are prohibited from taking backpacks, lunchboxes or any other personal carrying item into baggage screening operation areas."

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