Summary
- Sharon Jean Devine, a former TSA agent, was indicted in a federal court.
- Devine left notes in a restroom at the Tulsa International Airport saying there was a bomb in the airport.
- Other TSA agents have also been arrested for various crimes in the past.
A former Transportation Security Administration agent has been indicted for her involvement in a bomb hoax at the Tulsa International Airport.
Bomb threats are not tolerated
Yesterday, Sharon Jean Devine, a former Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent, was indicted in a federal court. In March, on two separate occasions, Devine left notes in a restroom at the Tulsa International Airport saying there was a bomb in the airport. The notes were left on March 5 and March 23, and according to the airport, were left in a bathroom landside (not the secure area of the airport).
“Tulsa International Airport Police received a report of a bomb threat on a handwritten note that was located in the pre-security side of the airport. Airport police immediately responded and secured the area and determined that there was no threat to public safety. Airport police then conducted an investigation where they identified a possible suspect and contacted the Tulsa FBI office. Tulsa FBI took over the investigation from that point forward and proceeded with their own investigation.”
Jason Kaplan, Special Agent In Charge of the Oklahoma City Field Office of the FBI, said that protocols need to be followed every time a threat is made to ensure the safety of the public. He added that hoaxes are also a threat to the community and are not tolerated.
The United States Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Oklahoma filed the indictment and is prosecuting Devine, with Assistant US Attorney Nathan E. Michel leading the prosecution. US Attorney Clint Johnson added that the US Attorney’s Office has zero tolerance for any threats of violence.
Photo: Jim Lambert I Shutterstock
Other TSA agent arrests
In February, Edmundo Dasilva, a TSA agent at Raleigh Durham International Airport (RDU) was arrested in Florida as part of a sting involving a child sex operation. Dasilva was arrested by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office after an undercover detective posted an ad. According to reports from wral, Dasilva proceeded to communicate with the detective and thought he would be able to access a child.
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Dasilva agreed to meet the adult in Florida, and when he was arrested, he had two condoms in his pocket. He wanted to pay $60 to perform sexual acts on a child. According to reports, Dasiilva thought he had been talking to the father of the child. In an eight-day span, the sheriff’s office managed to arrest eight people, including Dasilva.
Photo: TSA
In December, a high ranking officer of the TSA was arrested in Atlanta. Assistant Federal Security Director Maxine McManaman was arrested by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) who served an outstanding warrant. McManaman and Delroy Chambers Sr. supposedly forged signatures to transfer ownership of a property over to them. Chambers was arrested a few days before and was charged with two counts of exploitation of an elderly or disabled adult, simple neglect and two counts of forgery. Cambers’ bond was posted and he got out of jail, while McManaman was held at Clayton County Jail in Georgia.