Naples airport, which calls itself “The best small airport in the country“, does not offer commercial air services but, alongside flight schools and sightseeing tours, welcomes a more affluent clientele taking private charters. With the Caribbean nearby, many flights are international and require border controls and customs controls.
CBP's Office of Professional Responsibility investigated Timothy's case and found 17 incidents in total, including one involving two passengers. In a criminal complaint filed in January, Senior Special Agent Sapphia Small described a robbery that was caught on video.
In May 2023, CCTV footage showed that Timothy conducted a border inspection and currency checks on a passenger who traveled to Naples on a private plane from the Bahamas. The footage shows the passenger handing his money to Timothy, who, while counting it, set aside about $2,200 worth of $100 bills and covered them with customs declaration forms.
After the passenger left, Timothy collected the forms and hidden money and walked away, according to the complaint. The passenger later realized that his money was missing.
Timothy then stole at least $2,000 from passengers on three occasions, according to court documents, and at least $1,000 from six others.
Timothy pleaded guilty Tuesday to converting the property of another as an officer or employee of the United States. As part of the plea deal, he also agreed to pay “full restitution” to the victims and immediately resign from CBP, the U.S. Attorney's Office for Central Florida said.
A sentencing date has not yet been set.
“Mr. Timothy is very remorseful and has accepted responsibility for the alleged actions,” Douglas Molloy, Timothy’s defense attorney, wrote to the Washington Post in a statement. “It is not appropriate for me to comment further until his conviction is pronounced.”
CBP did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
Naples Airport welcomed more than 200,000 passengers in fiscal year 2023, according to the Naples Airport Authority. Southwest Florida International Airport, the region's commercial hub, was served last year more than 10 million.
