Former Employee Sentenced to Nine Days in Prison for Violating Security Requirements at Philadelphia International Airport

PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Tiriq Henson, 34, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to nine days’ incarceration, followed by two years of supervised release, by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for helping another person bypass airport security at the Philadelphia International Airport.

In September of last year, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of entering an airport area in violation of security requirements.

As detailed in court filings, on March 9, 2024, Henson, then employed as a wheelchair assistant at Philadelphia’s airport, aided and abetted the entry of his associate, David Easley, into a secure airport area, permitting Easley to use the defendant’s security badge and credentials to bypass airport security entirely and gain access to the boarding area reserved for screened passengers.

Easley pleaded guilty to the same offense in July of last year and was also sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

This case was investigated by the FBI, with significant assistance from the Transportation Security Administration and the Philadelphia Police Department, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Priya De Souza.