The inconvenience of lost/stolen luggage is one of the biggest reasons why I prefer to go carry-on only; however if the plane is small enough, even that won't save one from having to check in luggage. Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office arrested Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport subcontractor Giovanni De Luca, after a passenger reported her lost/stolen luggage contained an Apple AirTag:
Gizmodo added this extra information in their report:
According to the sheriff's office, the traveler with the AirTag told police that the last time it had been active was in the area of Kathy Court in the city of Mary Esther, Florida. Apple allows people who find an AirTag that is not theirs to disable it and stop it from sharing its location with its owner.
However, this last piece of location data was apparently enough for police, who then started searching for airport employees who lived near Kathy Court.
"[Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office] investigators made consensual contact with De Luca [on Aug. 10] at his home on Kathy Court. They were able to recover the items reported missing August 9th," police wrote in a statement on Facebook. "De Luca also admitted rummaging through the first victim's suitcase and removing an Apple Airtag. Her belongings have not been recovered."
De Luca is charged with two counts of grand theft, which is a felony in Florida. If convicted, he could face a five to 10-year prison sentence as well as a fine of up to $10,000.