By Tom Liddy
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN - An ex-con with a lengthy rap sheet was nabbed for swiping a cop's iPhone on the subway, authorities said.
The suspect, Kasseim Thomas, who also goes by Thomas Kasseim, was allegedly spotted by members of the Manhattan Transit Task Force entering and exiting cars on a Bronx-bound 4 train, near 86th Street on the Upper East Side at 5 p.m. Thursday.
At some point, Thomas, who has 42 prior arrests for, among other things, grand larceny, robbery and sex abuse, reached into a backpack belonging to one of the officers and grabbed an iPhone, according to police.
Thomas, who has 17 arrests for grand larceny and is on parole until 2012, was cuffed without incident at the Burnside Avenue station in The Bronx, cops said.
According to state records, Thomas, 47, has done eight stints in prison dating back to 1986, all for grand larceny.
It is not clear if the arrest was part of a sting.
Thomas, 47, was charged with grand larceny and criminal possession of stolen property, police said.
