Nadine Pellegrino - Philadelphia Airport

Nadine Pellegrino wrote to following about her encounter with the TSA at the Philadelphia airport.


In 2006 Nadine Pellegrino was traveling home to Florida with her husband via the Philadelphia International Airport. During a provocative and abusive property damaging search, she told two TSA screeners she intended to report their conduct to TSA authorities. During the search Nuryiah Abdul Malik twice insisted to her supervisor who Malik wanted to witness the search to call the police to arrest Pellegrino for speaking about their abuse and damage to her property. After the search ended the two TSA officers falsely accused her of assaulting them with her suitcase as she was leaving the search closet. Neither were touched by Pellegrino or her suitcases. Either one or both of the TSA officers threw articles of Pellegrino personal property into the trashcan while Pellegrino was out of the closet.

After the search TSA TSO Nuryiah Abdul Malik insisted to STSO Laura Labbee that Pellegrino be arrested. Labbee re-detained her and marginalized Pellegrino at a table on the checkpoint and confiscated her drivers license, asked her husband invasive questions about her private health information without Pellegrino's knowledge or permission. Both Pellegrino and her husband repeatedly requested to speak to the TSA Official in Charge at the airport while re-detained. Labbee ignored their requests. Labbee and Malik told TSA Officials and the Phila. Police who were called to the checkpoint that Pellegrino assaulted them and they wanted her arrested. Abdul Malik adamantly insisted on "pressing charges" against Pellegrino. Once Labbee knew Abdul Malik was following through on "pressing charges" Labbee also said she would file a complaint. Both falsely incriminated Pellegrino. Pellegrino was arrested for fictitious crimes and became a TSA crime victim. The Phila Police obliged frisked and tightly handcuff Pellegrino not telling her the reason she was being arrested as her husband watched in disbelief, shock, and horror. Her husband was not told why she was arrested. Pellegrino was locked up in horrific, filthy conditions in Phila jail cells until the next afternoon --no food 1/2 pint of foul smelling water. Over the course of approximately 20 months, the ten criminal counts disappeared from the charge sheet, were discharged for lack of evidence, and were acquitted at trial.

According to the pronouncement of Preliminary Hearing Judge Deleon, Pellegrino, the Crime victim of the TSA, was to stand trial for treating the TSA Officers as handmaidens. During a court ordered hearing, TSA Asst. Field Counsel Lisa Eckl, Esq. fessed up to another Phila. Municipal Court judge that TSA Aviation Inspectors made a deliberate decision to have the digitally recorded video evidence destroyed while Pellegrino, her husband and her defense attorneys were requesting copies of the surveillance evidence for a proper defense. Matters changed at another hearing, testimony was suppressed for trial after TSA Field Counsel, Patrice Scully, tried to put the blame for the destruction of the best factual evidence on the Phila. Airport. The judge didn't buy it. At trial the last of the charges were acquitted after the TSA and the Phila Asst. District Attorney Andre Martino presented a feeble, incoherent, and unsubstantiated prosecution with Labbee and her false witness, Denice Kissinger directly contradicting each other's testimony. No substantial evidence was presented, only contradictory testimony. Pellegrino was not required to defend herself at trial. The cases ended after the Prosecutor embarrassed himself. The judged named the TSA responsible for violation of Pellegrino's civil rights to a fair trial and delivered quick verdicts of Not Guilty. Not Guilty.

The TSA had admitted on court records that the TSA Aviation Security Inspectors made a thoughtful deliberate decision to have what the judge referred to as The Best Factual Evidence destroyed thus violating Pellegrino rights to a fair trial. The TSA denies any liability in the 20 month costly nightmare they created for Pellegrino and her husband. Instead they have demonized and maligned Pellegrino. Pellegrino and her husband have filed a federal civil rights violations lawsuit against the USA, the TSA, Abdul Malik, Labbee, Kissinger, the TSA Aviation Security Inspectors and TSA Officials who covered up the deliberate destruction of best factual evidence and also intended to withhold discoverable exculpatory evidence from her attorneys during due process proceedings. Their website www.pellegrinovstsa.com provides more details and will keep people posted regarding the proceedings as a public service. The transcript of the TSA admission of deliberate destruction is posted on the website as well as other documents.