A former Transportation Security Administration (TSA) official was sentenced to more than one year in federal prison for stealing from the federal worker’s compensation program. Emmanuel Papas, a 52-year-old former lead transportation security officer, pleaded guilty to the crime and was sentenced to one year and one day of imprisonment.
Papas was found to have been improperly receiving benefits from the federal worker’s compensation program after he was injured on the job in 2004. Despite being injured, Papas was discovered to have been working at granite shops in the Myrtle Beach area from March 2009 through February 2020. Surveillance and interviews with employees confirmed his active participation in the workforce.
Papas attempted to disguise his income by having his earnings paid in cash or with checks made payable in his family members’ names. He also completed at least eight federal forms attesting that he had no outside income, making him eligible to continue receiving his benefits.
According to court evidence, the total loss to the federal government was just under $150,000. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon ordered Papas to pay restitution of $148,982.42.
The case was investigated by TSA-Investigations, Atlanta Field Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Department of Labor. Assistant United States Attorney Derek A. Shoemake prosecuted the case.
Emmanuel Papas’s sentence serves as a reminder of the consequences of betraying the trust given to federal employees. ‘Federal employees should always respect the trust given to them, be it as a current or former employee,’ said Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett DeHart. ‘Betraying that trust and stealing from the federal government never pays.’
Papas will also be subject to three years of supervised release after his imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
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Key Facts
- State: South Carolina
- Category: White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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