The one odd assertion is that they "gave" his laptop to some random person. I've never seen a TSA person even touch people's stuff except to do a manual inspect

The one odd assertion is that they "gave" his laptop to some random person. I've never seen a TSA person even touch people's stuff except to do a manual inspection and even then they ask permission. Assuming this story is on the up-and-up and isn't some kind of prank, the writer should call the police and report a theft. Secondly, call a lawyer and pursue a quest to recover property cost and associated damages--business losses, legal fees, time lost, etc. Also, he should report the loss to his insurance company.