Head of local TSA office is placed on leave

The head of the Transportation Security Administration's office in Salt Lake City has been placed on leave, but authorities are declining to say why.

Earl Morris was placed on leave within the past couple of weeks, TSA officials confirmed to the Deseret News on Wednesday.

"He's just on approved leave," said agency spokesman Dwayne Baird.

Attempts to reach Morris for comment on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

The leave comes just a few weeks after another TSA employee struck a plea deal with federal prosecutors after being accused of working for both state government and the feds and lying about it.

Richard Wyss, 53, pleaded guilty last month to a single charge of making a false statement. Federal prosecutors said Wyss was an assistant Utah attorney general who went to work for the Utah Department of Public Safety as its legal counsel and budget director. From September 2002 until October 2007, Wyss also worked as legal counsel to the Transportation Security Administration.

In a statement filed with his guilty plea, Wyss said he misrepresented to a TSA ethics attorney that he was working only 18 to 22 hours per week, "mostly during evenings and weekends." Wyss admitted to submitting timesheets to a TSA supervisor that falsely claimed he worked part-time. After saying he would quit DPS, Wyss said in his plea agreement that he continued to work for both agencies for 2 1/2 years.

Wyss quit the TSA in October 2007. DPS said his employment there was terminated in March 2008. He is scheduled to be sentenced in April.

Federal prosecutors have refused to say whether any investigations are ongoing or if anyone else is likely to be charged. The Utah Department of Public Safety has said its internal investigation is ongoing.

E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com