Long Beach

A software tape for a computer at Long Beach Airport, one of three such tapes that authorities maintained were stolen or destroyed by a disgruntled employee, has been discovered in the airport’s computer room. Despite the discovery of the tape, district attorney deputies say they are going forward with their case against G. Jeffery Pappas, a former airport noise specialist suspected in the alleged theft of the airport computer tapes.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Larry Diamond said Tuesday that two of the tapes still are missing. The tapes, called start-up tapes, are used to program the computer that monitors aircraft noise at the airport.

Diamond said the tape that was recently located by airport employees had been recorded over and mislabeled, perhaps on purpose. Police are investigating who mislabeled the tape.

Pappas, who in February lost the temporary job he held with the airport, was arrested May 7 and charged with one felony count of destroying a computer system and a misdemeanor count of unlawfully accessing a computer. The arrest came two months after Pappas prompted a political squabble at City Hall by accusing officials of purposely ignoring noise violations at the airport.