A woman named Brittany Lynn Anderson, 38, from Tampa, was arrested on Thursday after the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) detected her attempt to use someone else’s ID and boarding pass at Tampa International Airport.
Anderson inserted a driver’s license into the TSA’s credential authentication technology machine, which flagged a mismatch. This prompted a manual inspection by a transportation security officer.
During the inspection, Anderson allegedly presented an ID and a Spirit Airlines boarding pass that belonged to another individual. According to an arrest report obtained by Nexstar’s WFLA, she told the officer, “she was going through some rough times” and explained that this was the reason for her different appearance on the ID.
Anderson claimed her ID was expired and admitted that she had asked a friend to purchase her ticket under another person’s name so she could fly to Las Vegas. The boarding pass and ID card were linked to someone currently incarcerated.
After handing over her expired ID, authorities discovered through the National Crime Information Center that Anderson had an active warrant out of Pennsylvania for “financial responsibilities.”
She was subsequently arrested on charges of criminal use of personal identification information.
The TSA’s credential authentication technology uses cameras and a tablet to match the face of the traveler at the checkpoint with the ID presented, such as a driver’s license or passport. The system does not retain any photos after they are taken and confirms that passengers are ticketed to fly from the airport.