An airport dispatcher admitted to illegally recording surveillance footage showing deceased victims after last month’s fatal midair crash, police say.
Maryland resident Jonathan Savoy allegedly admitted to a police detective that he captured photos and videos of crash victims being transferred from a first-responder boat to a staging area at Reagan National Airport, according to a criminal complaint obtained by ARLnow.
He reportedly used his cellphone to record surveillance footage shown on his computer, which was logged into a restricted network.
“Savoy was asked if he had authorization by MWAA to make copies via recording through his phone, [to] which he stated he did not have consent or [authorization] to do so,” a detective wrote in the complaint, dated Feb. 2.
Savoy, who was employed as a public safety dispatcher with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, was charged Feb. 4 with one count of computer trespass. This is a misdemeanor that carries a maximum penalty of 12 months in jail and a fine of $2,500, according to Virginia law.
The 45-year-old also violated MWAA rules, according to the complaint, as he “had signed a policy agreement which stated the rules/regulation against making any unauthorized copy of airport camera video surveillance.”
An MWAA spokesperson declined to comment on whether Savoy remains employed following the incident, citing a policy against discussing personnel decisions.
It’s unclear how extensive any footage was or whether Savoy distributed any of it. The alleged recordings do not appear to have surfaced on media outlets or elsewhere online.
Savoy is scheduled to appear next in Arlington County General District Court on May 2 for the appointment of an attorney.
Court proceedings are also underway for a second airport employee charged with computer trespass.
Mohamed Lamine Mbengue, a 21-year-old Maryland resident, is accused of recording airport surveillance footage of the crash and providing it to a media outlet, according to multiple reports.
The footage in question — which aired on CNN and was published online — shows two different angles of the collision and its fiery aftermath.
Mbengue is also scheduled to appear in General District Court in May.
