{"id":6126,"date":"2014-09-22T16:47:54","date_gmt":"2014-09-22T23:47:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=6126"},"modified":"2014-09-22T16:47:56","modified_gmt":"2014-09-22T23:47:56","slug":"tsa-screener-gets-nearly-seven-years-conspiring-smuggle-drugs-via-la-airport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cjnotebook.com\/?p=6126","title":{"rendered":"TSA Screener Gets Nearly Seven Years for Conspiring to Smuggle Drugs Via LA Airport"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"TSA<\/a>
TSA Screener Arrested at LAX in April 2012 (Photo: U.S. Attorney’s Office)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

LOS ANGELES<\/strong> \u2013 A former screener with the Transportation Security Administration who conspired to smuggle narcotics through screening checkpoints at Los Angeles International Airport was sentenced Monday to nearly seven years in federal prison.<\/p>\n

Naral Richardson<\/strong>, 32, of South Los Angeles, who was the facilitator of the scheme that involved three TSA screeners at LAX.<\/p>\n

Richardson is the last of seven defendants in this case to be sentenced to federal prison.<\/p>\n

U.S. District Court Judge\u00a0Margaret M. Morrow sentenced Richardson to six years and eight months behind bars.<\/p>\n

Richardson made arrangements so that 45 kilograms of cocaine, 4 kilograms of methamphetamine and 22 kilograms of marijuana were allowed to pass through security screening checkpoints at LAX.<\/p>\n

Officials said Richardson pleaded guilty in March to a drug-trafficking conspiracy count, admitting that he used his contacts at LAX to facilitate and profit from five \u201cpass-throughs\u201d of drugs at LAX.<\/p>\n

During these pass-throughs, authorities said Richardson arranged for corrupt TSA screeners to look the other way as couriers carried suitcases containing cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana through the airport for distribution around the country.<\/p>\n

As part of the scheme, officials said Richardson arranged for the couriers and corrupt screeners to meet beforehand so they would recognize each other and the courier would get into the correct screening lane.<\/p>\n

Richardson worked as a screener until he was terminated by the TSA in February 2011, and while employed at LAX he \u201croutinely allowed high-volume drug traffickers to pass drugs through his security screening lane for as much as $1,000 per pass-through,\u201d prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed with the court, according to authorities.<\/p>\n

The co-defendants previously sentenced in this scheme are:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  • John Brandon Whitfield<\/strong>, 25, of Los Angeles, a former TSA screener, who received a sentence of 70 months imprisonment<\/li>\n
  • \u00a0Joy Lenisha White<\/strong>, 29, of Compton, a former TSA screener, who was sentenced to 70 months in prison<\/li>\n
  • Capeline Sheri McKinney<\/strong>, 27, of Los Angeles, a former TSA screener, who received a sentence of 50 months imprisonment;<\/li>\n
  • \u00a0Duane Lewis Eleby,<\/strong> 30, of Downey, a drug courier, who was sentenced to 90 months in prison;<\/li>\n
  • \u00a0Terry Dean Cunningham,<\/strong> 30, of Los Angeles, a drug courier, who received a sentence of 18 months imprisonment; and<\/li>\n
  • \u00a0Stephen Anthony Bayliss<\/strong>, 30, of Los Angeles, a drug courier, who was sentenced to 41 months in prison.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    After nearly 8 pounds of meth went through an X-ray machine during a drug-smuggling incident, Whitfield and an operative met in an airport bathroom where Whitfield was paid $600 for his efforts, court documents show.<\/p>\n

    In another instance, McKinney let more than 44 pounds of cocaine pass through her security checkpoint, authorities said.<\/p>\n

    None of the drugs ever made it to their final destination, authorities said.<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n