Museum Employees Accused of Stealing Parking Fees
BLITZER: Here in the Washington, D.C., area, new information about a stunning scheme at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Annex that ended with a small fortune being stolen from the parking garage. Our own Lisa Sylvester has details.</s>LISA SYLVESTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): While tourists were flocking to see the Shuttle Discovery at the Smithsonian Institution's Air and Space Museum Annex in Chantilly, Virginia. Authorities say three parking attendants there were stealing thousands of dollars in parking fees. Just how much did they make off with?</s>JASON BROOKS, TOURIST: How much did they say? Like $400,000? Good God, that's ridiculous.</s>SYLVESTER: Actually, it was more than $400,000 over a three-year period, according to the U.S. attorney's office and the Smithsonian's office of the inspector general. (on camera) Every vehicle that passes through here is actually counted. The way these people were able to do this is by disabling the electronic vehicle counter, and that allowed them to steal as much as $4,000 in a single day. (voice-over) It costs $15 to park at the Air and Space Museum Annex near Dulles Airport. The parking booth attendants worked for a private company, PMI, which has a contract with the Smithsonian Institution. According to the court affidavit, closed-circuit television cameras caught the three workers in action. The news was shocking to museum visitors.</s>GLYNIS COLLEN, TOURIST: I just think that's really, really sad. It's a wonderful institution. It's sad to hear something like that happened.</s>EASTLAND COLLEN, TOURIST: It's really sad that people would do that. I hope they get prosecuted to the full extent of the law.</s>SYLVESTER: The Smithsonian has been under financial pressure in recent years, confronted with the threat of funding cuts. And $400,000 Could go a long way toward bolstering its programs. Claire Brown is a spokeswoman for the Air and Space Museum.</s>CLAIRE BROWN, SPOKESWOMAN, AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM: Well, very upset. Of course, we're very upset to have learned about it.</s>SYLVESTER (on camera): Has anything like this ever happened before?</s>BROWN: Not to my knowledge has anything like this happened before.</s>SYLVESTER (voice-over): Each booth attendant faces a maximum of ten years in prison if convicted. Lisa Sylvester, CNN, Chantilly, Virginia.</s>BLITZER: From air and space to just space. We have some new pictures coming in from Mars. That's next.