Ex-TSA supervisor at Sea-Tac pleads guilty to theft

SEATTLE — A former supervisor for the federal Transportation Security Administration has pleaded guilty to stealing $20,000 worth of jewelry and other items from checked luggage at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The U.S. Attorney’s office in Seattle says 50-year-old Randy Pepper entered the plea today at U.S. District Court in Seattle. Pepper was fired in July 2009 after another TSA worker saw him removing items from checked luggage. Surveillance video confirmed it, and investigators discovered Pepper had pawned the items. Prosecutors say the stolen items included gold diamond rings and sterling silver necklaces and earrings. Pepper faces up to a decade in prison and a $250,000 fine when he’s sentenced in November, but he is expected to face a guideline range of closer to six months to one year in prison.