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Gene Kennedy reportingThanksgiving is this week, Christmas is just around the corner. And you certainly don't want to spend the holidays in the airport.
One man who tried to take a illegal shortcut on the job at the airport is now out of jail. He tried to pose as his identical twin.
The suspect pretended to be his brother so he could work in a secure area of the airport. When he was convicted, we reported he could face up to 15 years behind bars. After five months in jail he is out. Why so early? We're not sure, but apparently immigration officials are now involved in this case.
The man convicted is Olimpiu Nedelcu, of Romania. Nedelcu's brother refueled jets, and when he couldn't show up for work, he asked Nedelcu to take his place. The brother still faces federal charges, and even though Nedeclu is out of jail, his U.S. visa has expired. Immigration officials are deciding whether to deport him.
It was a federal crime, something the Transportation Security Administration did not take lightly.
As the holidays quickly approach and the crowds grow at the airport, the TSA will be looking for anything suspicious and carefully screening everyone who makes their way to the airlines, which of course means it's going to take longer to get where you want to go.
TSA has prepared a holiday checklist for travelers, tips to take advantage of so you can get through security as quickly as possible.
Be prepared for the following.
-Remove coats and jackets
-Take laptops and video cameras out of case
-Put undeveloped film in carry-on baggage
-Kids can't carry anything through detector
-Blankets and stuffed animals will be screened
-Do not wrap gifts
Finally, as surprising as this may be, a reminder to not bring firearms or ammunition through the screening area. For TSA, this continues to be a problem. The agency intercepts ammunition more than 2,000 times a month nationwide. Firearms and ammo have to be inside checked baggage and the airline needs to be aware of that.
