With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Smugglers Plead Guilty to Bribing TSA Agents to Clear Bags of Marijuana Through LAX Security
Photo by Michael Zampelli via LAist Featured Photos on Flickr
()
The first of several guilty pleas has been declared in court today by one of the smugglers who took part in a scheme to bribe Transportation Security Administration agents to put marijuana on flights out of Los Angeles International Airport last year.
Charles "Smoke" Hicks had his plea hearing today, according to City News Service. The 24-year-old Culver City resident admitted in court documents that he and co-defendant Andrew "Drew" Welter, 25, were part of an operation spearheaded by Millage Peaks IV, the 24-year-old son of a retired Los Angeles Fire Department chief. The scheme was to pay TSA agents to send through suitcases carrying marijuana from LAX to Boston.
The Department of Justice explains that court documents note the conspiracy between the drug couriers and the TSA employees began November 2010. Peaks offered two agents, both now no longer with the TSA, bribes for each bag that made it through airport security. Those agents, Dianna Perez, 28, of Inglewood and Randy Littlefield, 29, of Paramount, are also expected to plead guilty on conspiracy charges.
Perez used her position to circumvent security at LAX on an estimated nine occasions, says the DOJ. Court documents indicate:
Support for LAist comes from
"[Perez] did this a number of ways. First, she would instruct the drug couriers how to pack the marijuana so it would not trigger alarms on TSA’s explosive detection system. Coconspirator Perez would also personally screen the bags using TSA’s explosive detection system. Finally, if a bag did alarm, coconspirator Perez would manually screen the bag, and then clear it."
Peaks, Littlefield, and Perez are due in federal court Wednesday. A plea hearing date for Welter has not yet been set.
Previously
Son of Former LAFD Chief Arrested Trying to Smuggle Several Pounds of Pot on Flight From LAX
Text Messages from Son of Former LAFD Chief Help Uncover LAX Pot Smuggling Ring
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
What do stairs have to do with California’s housing crisis? More than you might think, says this Culver City councilmember. -
Yes, it's controversial, but let me explain. -
Doctors say administrator directives allow immigration agents to interfere in medical decisions and compromise medical care. -
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases.
Best of LAist