Henry I. Weil, 62, who practices criminal defense and immigration law in Chinatown, was found at a nearby gate by officers who reviewed surveillance video of the Friday morning theft at Terminal C, the authority's Joseph Pentangelo said.
He was carrying $700 in cash and a Visa gift card worth $130 that were taken from the bag, he said.
Weil then "led officers to the location of the bag from which the money was taken," Pentangelo said. "The now-empty bag was found rolled into a ball and thrown in a corner."
Police returned the cash and card to the owner, processed Weil on theft charges and released him pending a Jan. 30 hearing.
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