(Reuters) - A federal security officer at Newark Liberty International Airport pleaded guilty on Monday to accepting bribes and kickbacks from a colleague who regularly stole money from passengers during security screenings, authorities said.
The Transportation Security Administration officer, Michael Arato, 41, admitted in U.S. District Court in Newark he took kickbacks from a subordinate officer, whom he permitted to steal between $10,000 and $30,000 in cash from travelers over the course of a year ending in October 2010, the U.S. Attorney's office said.
During a three-week period ending on October 5, video surveillance showed Arato pocketing some $3,100 in kickbacks from the scheme, mostly in $100 bills, authorities said.
He also admitted he regularly stole from passengers at his own checkpoint at the airport's Terminal B...
