The Transportation Security Administration said Friday that the conduct of a former TSA screening agent facing a false imprisonment charge involving his alleged mistreatment of a woman at Los Angeles International Airport is “unacceptable.”
“TSA does not tolerate illegal, unethical or immoral conduct,” the TSA said in a written statement released one day after Johnathon Lomeli’s arrest. “The behavior described in the state charging documents is unacceptable and an affront to the hard-working and committed members of our workforce. The individual charged with these crimes is no longer with the agency and we pledge to fully cooperate with the ongoing law enforcement investigation into this matter.”
In a declaration filed in support of an arrest warrant, Carlos Llamas with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force wrote that Lomeli told the woman — who had lost her identification and debit cards while traveling in Los Angeles — that she had to go to another room to answer additional questions and go through an additional search after she was patted down by a female TSA officer on June 4, 2019.
Lomeli told the woman that she had to show him her breasts to make sure she had nothing in her bra, and the woman subsequently complied with his instruction to lift her pants and underwear, according to the declaration.
The 22-year-old TSA agent subsequently made a comment to the woman about having nice breasts, the declaration alleges.
Lomeli — who was released on bond Thursday after being arrested by Los Angeles police — is set to be arraigned Feb. 27 at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse on a felony count of false imprisonment by fraud or deceit.
“Women deserve to be treated with dignity and respect everywhere,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a written statement announcing the case. “There is no excuse for this kind of alleged behavior. It’s not OK on the street, it’s not OK in our schools, and it’s certainly not welcome at the airport. At the California Department of Justice, we’ll continue to do everything in our power to hold those who break the law accountable.”
The criminal case was filed as part of a joint effort involving the California Department of Justice, FBI, Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Airport Police and the TSA.