A man with 49 prior arrests is in police custody again, accused of buying plane tickets to get him access to JFK terminals and stealing nearly $20,000 worth of merchandise from duty free and news shops at the airport since January.
Eric Love, 50, was arrested Tuesday at the airport on a charge of grand larceny; he now has an arrest for roughly every year of his life.
Authorities allege Love bought plane tickets and used his status as a passenger to get himself into a secure area of the airport, namely Terminal 4, and rob shops there. It wasn't clear if police thought Love actually used the plane tickets or simply booked the flights as a ruse.
Authorities say he hit Terminal 4 three times since January, most recently on April 2 and April 14. He made off with 52 perfumes and fragrances worth about $14,000 from a duty free shop in Terminal 4, authorities allege. Love also allegedly snatched 18 Fitbit watches from the Hudson News Store near gate B20, worth about $4,000.
Details on Love's prior arrests weren't immediately clear, nor was it known if the St. Schenectady man had retained a lawyer who could comment on the allegations.