On March 4 last year, a Transportation Security Administration worker was seen taking Japanese yen worth about $1,800 from a suitcase at Honolulu International Airport and putting it into his pocket. When confronted, Benny S. Arcano admitted the theft and agreed to cooperate.

That resulted in a federal investigation and prosecution that led to Arcano and co-defendant Christopher J. Cadorna pleading guilty yesterday to stealing Japanese yen worth thousands of dollars from the luggage of departing Japanese tourists when the two worked as TSA screeners in 2004 and 2005.

The two also admitted receiving and sharing stolen money from other TSA employees.

Federal authorities said the investigation is continuing and declined to say how many others may be implicated.

The defense attorneys said there were probably two or three other screeners involved.

Arcano, 27, and Cadorna, 25, who were discharged from their jobs, are the first to plead guilty here to using their federal TSA positions to steal money, a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

They were permitted by federal Magistrate Judge Barry Kurren to remain free on $20,000 signature bonds pending sentencing on July 17.

Lawyers for both men said the two deeply regret what they did and cooperated fully.

William Domingo, Arcano's lawyer, said his client immediately admitted his crime and cooperated.

He said his client felt badly when he was committing the offenses. As to why Arcano did it, Domingo said it may have been just because the opportunity presented itself.

"When you open up a bag and you see envelopes in there, it's a lack of judgment," Domingo said.

Pamela Tamashiro, Cadorna's attorney, said her client wants to take full responsibility for what he did. "I think he asks himself, too, why did I do this," she said.

Sidney Hayakawa, federal security director for Honolulu International Airport, said he was disappointed when he learned of the thefts by TSA workers.

"I think greed may be a factor in all this," Hayakawa said.

Both lawyers said they recognize the severity of the offense but hope their clients won't have to serve any time behind bars.

In his plea agreement, Arcano admitted he stole Japanese currency on three previous occasions with a total value of more than $3,000. He exchanged the yen for U.S. dollars at an outlet in Waikiki and shared the money with other TSA screeners, he said.

From March 2004 to March 4, 2005, Arcano estimated, there were about 20 such thefts totalling about $20,000. He said he took or received from others about $7,000 worth of currency.

Cadorna admitted in his plea agreement that he stole yen about eight times, worth a total of about $10,000, from March 2004 to March 4, 2005.

Cadorna said he also got about $10,000 from other screeners.

Federal authorities declined to say who saw Arcano take $1,800 worth of Japanese yen.

U.S. Attorney Ed Kubo said the TSA employees are held in public trust to screen luggage for weapons and explosives in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Any violation of that trust cannot be tolerated because "it constitutes the worst form of corruption," he said.

But Kubo said the prosecution should not taint dedicated TSA workers.

Federal authorities said Honolulu International Airport has about 600 TSA employees.

"I am very confident at this point in time that this prosecution has put a stop to the thefts that have been occurring," Kubo said. "I am also very confident that TSA employees as well as management want to draw the line in the sand that any TSA employees that have the confidence of the public cannot violate that because criminal charges will come."

Kubo said the case is not related to charges filed Wednesday, accusing TSA employee Michael Gomes of stealing $16,000 from the backpack of a visitor at a Moloka'i airport. Gomes was terminated from his job on Tuesday. Lowrey Leong, federal security director of Maui County airports, said Moloka'i airport has 14 screeners.

Reach Ken Kobayashi at kkobayashi@honoluluadvertiser.com.