LOS ANGELES – A federal Transportation Security Administration agent tricked a traveler into twice showing him her breasts as she went through security at one of the world’s busiest airports, California’s attorney general said.
Attorney General Xavier Becerra said Johnathon Lomeli, 22, was working at Los Angeles International Airport in June when he used fraud or deceit to falsely imprison the woman. Lomeli was arrested early Thursday at his home, Fox Business reported.
According to the woman, she was exposed in multiple ways. Lomeli first said he had to look inside her bra to make sure she wasn’t hiding anything, then had her hold her pants away from her waist so he could look inside, she told investigators, according to the report.
Next, he took her to what he said would be a private room for more security screening, according to an arrest affidavit. However, once they were alone on an elevator, she said he told her he could do the screening right there.
The woman said Lomeli told her he had to make sure she still had nothing in her bra, requiring her to lift her shirt “to show me your full breasts.” He also again looked down her pants, she said, before telling her she was free to go and adding that she had nice breasts, according to Fox Business.
Loemli was being held in lieu of $50,000 bail. His first court appearance is scheduled for Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Officials with the union representing TSA employees, the American Federation of Government Employees, did not respond to Fox requests for comment, and officials could not say if Lomeli has an attorney.
“There is no excuse for this kind of alleged behavior,” Becerra said in a statement.
The TSA initially brought the case to the FBI and Lomeli was terminated from employment months ago, said FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller.
She said the initial complaint involved “improperly screening at least one woman in a private area of the airport.”
The TSA in a statement called the alleged behavior “unacceptable and an affront to the hardworking and committed members of our workforce.”
