Two Accused of Stealing Cash, Guns and Other Property from Baggage at New Orleans Airport

A Metairie man who worked for a company contracted to maintain the baggage handling system at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is accused looting items from travelers' luggage on the job, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Karl Brown Jr., 20, was arrested and booked with three counts of possession of stolen property, two counts of theft and possession of marijuana, said Capt. Jason Rivarde, spokesman for the department.

A second suspect, a woman who worked with Brown, has also been arrested in the case, Rivarde said. But the Sheriff’s Office did not identify her because she was being held in another jurisdiction.

"They stole cash, guns, electronics and other property from the baggage," Rivarde said, noting that the woman will face similar charges once she is brought to Jefferson parish.

The case is still under investigation and additional charges and arrests are possible.

Authorities have been tight-lipped about the case. The Sheriff’s Office won’t say how they identified Brown as a suspect. He was first arrested June 10 and has since been rebooked with additional charges on Aug. 5 and Aug. 11.

Brown and his alleged co-conspirator are accused of stealing from passengers’ bags between December 2019 and May 2020, according to Sheriff’s Office records. Searches of Brown’s Metairie apartment turned up property that had been reported missing by travelers, including:

- A $10,000 Rolex watch, a $1,300 Gucci purse, a $900 Prada purse and jewelry, all taken from an El Paso woman’s suitcase when she flew home from a trip to New Orleans on March 2.

- A 9mm pistol, ammunition and magazines and a knife, all inside a locked gun box, stolen from a man’s luggage during an April 27 trip from New Orleans to Tampa.

- An iPod, a tripod, two suits and other clothing stolen from a man’s suitcase during his March 12 trip from New Orleans to Los Angeles.

Investigators stressed that Brown and the other suspect were not baggage handlers, airline employees or Transportation Safety Administration agents. They worked for company that repairs the baggage system within the airport, Rivarde said. The Sheriff’s Office did not name the company.

The Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s office has already charged Brown with possession of stolen property in connection with items taken from the El Paso traveler, according to court records. Brown pleaded not guilty on July 21.

Brown was being held Sunday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna and his bond was set at $23,500. But he was being held without bond for violating the terms of his probation stemming from a prior conviction for possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. He pleaded guilty to that charge on March 9 and got a five-year suspended sentence and 36 months probation, court records show.

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