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Federal agents arrested a Transportation Security Administration agent accused of faking cancer to get out of work for five years.
Security officer Marc Bess told his bosses at the TSA that he was very sick with abdominal lymphoma cancer in 2009, according to investigators. He forged notes from a physician detailing radiation, surgery and ongoing treatments that he needed, officials said.
The trouble is it was all made up.
“TSA policy is to question any uncertain medical documents. TSA initiated this investigation. The individual is no longer employed by the federal government,” according to a TSA press release.
According to a criminal information document filed by the U.S Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, Bess wrote fake doctors notes and the TSA caught on after discovering the doctor who he signed off as was dead.
Court records show that investigators believe he took 2,240 hours in sick leave. That’s about 280 sick days if you work an eight-hour work day over a five year time period. Court records show that the majority of the paid leave time was transferred to Bess by other employees as part of a “Voluntary Leave Transfer Program” that the TSA offers.
“A lot of employers don’t even offer paid time off for one, and a lot of people get sick and they lose they jobs, and you have a person abusing the system,” said Myia Wood, a disability attorney in Atlanta.
Bess is expected in court for a plea hearing on May 11 to face embezzling/stealing public money charges. Bess did not return a voice message left on his cellphone. He is released on bond.
The U.S Attorney’s Office is not commenting further on the case.
