CEO, COO Bypassed Security In Separate Incidents, Investigation Shows

Two Jacksonville, FL executives have been found to have violated security protocols in separate incident in an investigative report conducted by a local television station.

In one incident, Chief Operating Officer Tony Cugno bypassed security to deliver a large amount of money to an airport board member who was boarding a plane to Las Vegas. That incident reportedly occurred in 2011, but was not investigated until 2015, according to the investigation by television station WJXT. Federal officials reportedly looked into the accusation but decided not to pursue the case. Airport officials took action four years later, suspending Cugno for three days without pay. CEO Steve Grossman said that he believes that as a middle manager, Cugno was "intimidated" by the board member and "did something he should not have done." But the suspension was not recorded in Cugno's personnel file, a decision for which Grossman takes responsibility.

The punishment was recorded in 2016, and Grossman said the time sheets reflect that, but "for whatever reason, the (payroll) system did not pick up on it."

Grossman said that his decision was based on a belief that there was an "agenda to harm Mr. Cugno" and that it was not documented in an effort to keep the information from those seeking to harm Cugno's career.

The person with that agenda is thought to be Don Green, the leader of the airport police union. He admitted that he's had his own issues on the job, but says that Grossman's justification is "absolute nonsense."

Meanwhile, Grossman himself at one time allowed a family member to bypass TSA to meet a plane at an airport gate, a decision he admits was wrong. He told the station that he told the airport's security director to "treat me the same as you treat any other employee." He was issued a security violation and went through re-training "immediately". "It will never happen again," he said.

Federal officials declined to comment on Cugno's violation, saying it's investigation into the incident is "closed".

FMI: Original report