An Ave Maria man who formerly served as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at the Naples Airport plead guilty Tuesday to stealing cash from international passengers.
William Joseph Timothy, 43, faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
In pleading guilty he acknowledged stealing cash from arriving international airline passengers during the course of his official duties.
According to the plea agreement, between mid-2023 and early-2024, Timothy stole approximately $18,700 in cash from airline passengers during 17 incidents of theft uncovered by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility investigators.
Evidence collected during the investigation showed that Timothy was surreptitiously stealing cash from arriving international passengers during border enforcement examinations and currency verifications performed as part of his official duties as an assigned CBP Officer at Naples Airport.
As part of his plea agreement, Timothy has agreed to pay full restitution to the victims of his thefts, and he has further agreed to immediately resign from his employment with CBP.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.