DA: NYC workers stole 100,000 mini liquor bottles

American Airlines jets on tarmac, John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York / AP Graphics

(AP) NEW YORK - Authorities say workers at New York's Kennedy International Airport stole 100,000 mini liquor bottles, as well as duty-free items such as larger bottles of liquor, perfume and cigarettes.

Eighteen employees were arrested Wednesday on charges including larceny and possession of stolen property.

Fifteen of the defendants are current or former truck drivers for Sky Chef, the food and beverage subsidiary of American Airlines. The other three are security guards.

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said they stole more than $750,000 worth of liquor and other items.

He said a search warrant at the home of one retired truck driver turned up more than 500 garbage bags filled with mini liquor bottles.

The arrests came after a five-month investigation dubbed "Operation Last Call."

[aubfmet]

At $7 for a mini bottle, they should be stolen.

[randomites]

This guy must have a lot of friends who are midgets.

[Goldwater64s6]

Give the house a round, bartender and hey, bartender one for you also.
Operation Last Call. Now that is funny.

[Jaylah54200]

Okay, so they were getting the mini bottles from the plane's supply.

But where were they getting the full bottles, the perfume, and the cigarettes? Were they going through passenger's luggage?

[MissHenrietta]

Some international flights have an on-board duty free shop. Sounds like they were stealing stock, this would be a whole other level of crime because those items are tax free only because they are purchased under bond, ie outside the USA