DA: NYC workers stole 100,000 tiny booze bottles
By Associated Press
Sep 12, 2012 4:35 PM CDT

Authorities say workers at New York's Kennedy airport stole 100,000 mini liquor bottles and duty-free items such as larger bottles of liquor, perfume and cigarettes.

Eighteen employees were arrested Wednesday on charges including larceny and possession of stolen property.

Fifteen are current or former truck drivers for LSG Sky Chefs, an airline catering company owned by Lufthansa that serves as a subcontractor to American Airlines. The other three are security guards.

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown says they stole more than $750,000 worth of liquor and other items. He says a search warrant at the home of one retired truck driver turned up more than 500 garbage bags filled with mini liquor bottles.

The arrests came after a five-month investigation dubbed Operation Last Call.

(This version CORRECTS the name of the company that employed the drivers to LSG Sky Chefs, not Sky Chef, and its relationship to American Airlines to subcontractor, not subsidiary.)