Two former Transportation Security Administration employees who pleaded guilty in March to stealing money from the luggage of departing Japanese tourists were sentenced yesterday to three years' probation and weekend confinement at the Federal Detention Center.

As part of their plea agreement, Benny S. Arcano and Christopher J. Cardona will also serve six months of home detention, perform 450 hours of community service and pay a $2,000 fine.

Judge Susan Oki Mollway ordered Arcano to attend Gamblers Anonymous meetings and prohibited him from being in the presence of any gambling, frequenting any business, residence, or area where gambling activities occur, and associating with anyone engaged in gambling.

Cardona may be required to participate in a mental health program that could include anger management classes but it will be up to the discretion of the probation office, the judge said.

Arcano's weekend confinement is from Fridays to Sundays for 34 consecutive weekends, while Cardona, who is attending school, will be confined Saturdays and Sundays for 51 consecutive weekends.

Both men cooperated in a federal investigation after Arcano was seen taking Japanese yen worth $1,800 from a suitcase at Honolulu International Airport on March 4, 2005. Arcano admitted to stealing Japanese currency valued at $3,000 on three other occasions and sharing the money with other TSA screeners.

In his plea agreement, Cardona admitted to stealing yen eight times. The Japanese currency was worth a total of $10,000.

From March 2004 to March 2005, Arcano estimated there were about 20 thefts totalling about $20,000.

Michael Gomes, a former TSA screener, last month was sentenced to three months in jail for stealing $16,000 from luggage at Moloka'i airport on Feb. 6.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.