Originally published October 22 2011
Son of former LA fire chief arrested for bribing TSA agent, smuggling marijuana on plane
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) Authorities recently took Millage Peaks Jr., son of former Los Angeles, Cal., fire chief Millage Peaks, into custody on charges of bribing a public official and attempting to smuggle marijuana onto a commercial airline flight. CBS 2 News in Los Angeles reports that Peaks confessed to bribing US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent Dianna Perez to let him smuggle bags through security on at least nine different occasions.
Peaks was on his way from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) when he allegedly bribed Perez to let two suitcases filled with about $38,000 worth of marijuana, or roughly 14 pounds of it, pass through the screener undetected. But when other TSA agents smelled the marijuana through the bag, his plan was foiled.
Reports indicate that Perez first took the bags into a private screening area, "inspected" them for a few minutes, and proceeded to bring them back to the main screening area with her stamp of approval. Perez apparently had even advised Peaks about how best to pack the marijuana so that no other agents would find it.
"Peaks had arranged for Perez to help him move bags containing marijuana through airport security for a fee," says an FBI affidavit. "He intended to pay Perez $500 for each bag that she helped bypass security," stating also that Perez had helped Peaks "circumvent security nine previous times."
According to reports, Peaks purchased the marijuana in California's Bay Area the day before his flight, and drove back down to Los Angeles the same night in order to make his flight the next day. His attorney, Robert Little, says that Peaks had planned to resell the marijuana once he arrived in Boston.
Similarly, a TSA agent from Buffalo, NY, last month pleaded guilty to aiding in a criminal drug smuggling ring. A TSA "behavioral detection officer" at the time, Minetta Walker confessed to helping drug dealers avoid "enhanced" pat-downs and naked body scans to facilitate their smuggling of drug money onto flights (http://www.naturalnews.com/033495_TSA_smuggl...).
TSA agents have also been arrested on charges of stealing passengers personal items, planting drugs in passengers luggage, molesting children and seniors, and distributing child pornography, among other things (http://www.naturalnews.com/TSA.html).
Sources for this article include:
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2011/10/17/fo...
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