An employee of a contractor at Miami International Airport was arrested in connection with the sale of a luxury watch a traveler left behind on a plane, authorities said.
Carlos Elky Penton, 45, was arrested Thursday on a charge of dealing in stolen property, an arrest report said.
Penton, of Hialeah, works for a contracted company that services aircraft at MIA after passengers deplane, the report said.
According to the report, the victim arrived at MIA on a flight from North Carolina on June 8 and accidentally left behind a leather bag containing over $12,000 in valuables including a Cartier Santos watch.
On July 1, the victim said he found his watch, which has a unique gash on the bezel, for sale on a website based in New York.
A subpoena revealed the watch was purchased from a Miami broker, and had been purchased from another jewelry broker.
Investigators eventually tracked down a form that showed Penton sold the watch on June 11 for $1,500, well below market value, the report said.
The contracted company had serviced the victim’s aircraft the day he arrived, but Penton later told investigators he wasn’t working the day of the incident but had been given the watch by another employee, the report said.
“Defendant admitted he does not own the watch and did not know who the owner is,” the report said. “Defendant made a profit for self gain by selling the watch.”
Penton was arrested and booked into jail. Attorney information wasn’t available.