Couple Who Stole Luggage During Asiana Flight Crash Are Going to Jail
Two airport employees who used the confusion of the Asiana Airlines crash last summer as an opportunity to steal luggage from airline passengers are now headed to jail.
Sean Sharif Crudup, 44, and his fiancée Raychas Elizabeth Thomas, 32, were both working for United at the San Francisco International Airport when the Asiana Flight 214 crashed on the runway, leaving three dead and 180 injured.
As other airport employees raced to help—some doing more harm than good—Crudup and Thomas took advantage of the melee to steal thousands of dollars worth of luggage from diverted passengers.
According to court testimony, Crudup was captured on an airport surveillance tape removing a suitcase from the airport baggage office.
The victim's luggage apparently contained several pieces of jewelry and clothes worth about $30,000—some of which Thomas somehow managed to sell back to Nordstrom for around $5,000. The remaining items were recovered during a search of the couple's home.
Crudup was sentenced to nine months in jail and Thomas picked up a six-month sentence this week. The couple is also facing up to three years of probation and $5,800 in restitution to Nordstrom.