A Transportation Security Administration official presumably experienced an invasive pat-down at the airport, but not in the way that ordinary travelers have experienced it.
Customs and Border Protection officers reportedly arrested Maxine McManaman as she deplaned at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Dec. 28 in the apparent culmination of an elder abuse investigation.
McManaman, the Atlanta-based TSA assistant federal security director, was taken into custody on a forgery warrant from St. Lucie County, Florida, in connection with a purportedly sketchy deed transfer that occurred in December 2022.
According to KOSA-TV, “A court document revealed that McManaman was accused of falsifying a quitclaim deed, a document that transfers property from one person to another.”
Following the arrest, TSA placed the high-ranking official on leave, but it is unclear whether that is paid or unpaid, WAGA-TV reported.
McManaman has worked for TSA for over 20 years, according to KOSA-TV.
The Biden administration appears to have promoted McManaman to her current position in June 2023, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The arrest of the TSA official was the result of an eight-month probe into alleged “exploitation of a family member with dementia,” the Port St. Lucie Police Department explained in a Facebook post.
The TSA executive and another individual identified as Delroy Chambers Sr. “were determined to have both falsified the quitclaim deed,” the department said.
Should crimes against the elderly carry harsher penalties?
The quitclaim deed drafted by McManaman allegedly listed McManaman and Chambers as the grantees, i.e., the beneficiaries of the transaction.
“There were two signatures on the back of the document both listed as Grantor. One was Maxine McManaman’s with letters ‘POA’ in front and the other was Delroy Chambers. It was determined that the Grantor could not have signed the document on the date specified, since the Grantor was determined to be in Atlanta, GA on that date,” Port St. Lucie police further detailed.
POA presumably means power of attorney.
As a side note, it has yet to be reported if McManaman had the legal power of attorney from the elderly person that would enable the TSA manager to execute transactions of this nature.
McMamanan was returning home from an international trip when she was arrested on the third-degree felony warrant.
Pending extradition to Florida, McManaman is [or was] being held at Clayton County Jail in the Atlanta area.
This incident serves as a reminder that seniors, especially those with health challenges, are among our most vulnerable population and can be subject to financial manipulation, or worse, by unscrupulous relatives or caretakers — let alone strangers.
Last month, authorities in the Florida jurisdiction charged Chambers with two counts of exploitation of an elderly or disabled adult, two counts of forgery, and simple neglect of an elderly or disabled adult.
In a statement, a TSA spokesman told WAGA-TV, “TSA holds its employees to the highest professional and ethical standards and has no tolerance for misconduct on or off-duty.”
A reminder that anyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless or until convicted in a court of law.
