Assistant U.S. Attorneys Craig R. Gestring and Kyle P. Rossi, who handled the prosecution of the case, stated that the defendant applied for employment at a restaurant at the Greater Rochester International Airport. The restaurant was located in the sterile area of the airport, beyond the security screening zone. Because they have access to knives and other contraband items to which screened passengers do not, employees of the airport or contractors who work in the restaurants or stores inside the sterile area are required to obtain a special federal Security Identification Display Area (SIDA) badge and pass a federal background investigation, which includes a security threat assessment.
In March 2016, Jerome filled out a security clearance application and falsely reported that he had never been arrested. However, only a month before he falsified the SIDA clearance application form, Jerome was convicted of a felony, Robbery in the Second Degree, in Monroe County for which he was sentenced to five years’ probation. During that robbery, the defendant displayed what appeared to be a firearm.
Federal regulations put in place by the Department of Homeland Security since September 11, 2001, prohibit persons with certain disqualifying felony criminal convictions from obtaining a clearance to work at an airport. The defendant’s 2016 Robbery conviction, which is considered a crime of violence, was such a disqualifying offense. The security clearance application completed by the defendant clearly listed the specific disqualifying conditions on its face.
The verdict is the culmination of an investigation by the Federal Air Marshal Service, under the direction of Supervisory Air Marshal-in-Charge William Hall.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 21.
from US Dept. of Justice via IFTTT
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