FAIRBANKS-Last winter, Airport Police and corporate security from Alaska Airlines conducted a sting operation at the Fairbanks International Airport. The sting operation took place on December 22nd, three days before Christmas. It caught one suspect, 37 year-old Robert Norman Webb Jr. The operation was set up because of complaints of missing items made by travelers.

According to reports, the Airport police and airlines security, planted two suitcases as bait there. Inside was electronics such as Ipods, etc. After the bait baggage was loaded for transport, the authorities detained and questioned the three workers that had access to the baggage. One of two Ipods missing from the baggage was found in Webb’s possession. He quickly explained that he had found the Ipod on the floor and had picked it up for safe-keeping. Authorities contend the Ipod was securely packed in the bait baggage. The other Ipod was never located.

Authorities also found two DVDs secreted away in the legs of the conference room table where Webb was interviewed. Webb admitted to hiding the DVDs there, but claimed ownership and and offered to provide receipts to validate that. He never did. As a result of the investigation, a search warrant was issued for Webb’s residence. Found there was a knife valued at $260 that had been reported missing from checked baggage in November. That knife was forwarded to the crime lab for fingerprint analysis.

Criminal charges were leveled at Webb late last month. According to Alaska State records, Webb has no past criminal record in the state of Alaska.