James Matthews, 41, was charged with two felony theft counts after being caught on camera taking a military foot locker, police said. View Full Caption Chicago Police Department

CHICAGO — An O'Hare Airport contractor caught on video stealing laptops from foot lockers owned by active duty military members headed overseas told police he did it because he needed money to fix his car, prosecutors said.

Meanwhile, the judge setting bond in the case was amazed to learn the worker, James Matthews, 41, had landed a job at the airport despite having a murder conviction from 1991.

"In spite of 9/11, a company would hire a [convicted] murderer?" Cook County Judge James Crown asked with a disgusted scowl.

Matthews worked for Switzerland-based Swissport International, which provides ground and cargo handling services at O'Hare, prosecutors said.

On Monday evening, U.S. Postal Service inspectors had a surveillance operation underway at a U.S. Postal Service facility at the airport, trying to catch whoever was stealing from military foot lockers.

James Matthews is accused of taking laptops from military foot lockers that were to be sent overseas. View Full Caption Shutterstock; Chicago Police

At 6:50 p.m. Monday, Matthews was caught on video taking a foot locker with a laptop inside, prosecutors said.

Authorities charged him with felonies, saying he was caught with two stolen laptops.

He told investigators "he needed money to fix his car," Asst. State's Attorney Erin Antonietti said.

Matthews, of south suburban Sauk Village, was ordered held on $100,000 bail.

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