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Community Corner

Two Men Agree to Plead Guilty in TSA Bribery Scam

A Culver City resident is one of two admitted drug couriers that will plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges in a scheme involving former TSA agents bribed to smuggle marijuana onto planes out of LAX.

Two admitted drug couriers have agreed to plead guilty to federal conspiracy charges stemming from a scheme to bribe ex-Transportation Security Administration agents at Los Angeles International Airport to help them smuggle marijuana onto a flight, according to court papers filed Tuesday.

Charles “Smoke” Hicks, 24, of Culver City, and Andrew “Drew” Welter, 25, of Fontana, each face up to five years in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. A date has not been set for the defendants to enter their pleas before a judge.

According to the plea agreements, the two men acknowledged working with Millage J. Peaks IV, the son of a retired Los Angeles City fire chief, who allegedly promised to pay $500 for each suitcase containing marijuana that cleared security at LAX.

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Peaks and former TSA employee Dianna Perez were arrested and charged last October in connection with the case, but charges were dismissed with the possibility that prosecutors could re-file them at a later date, according to court papers.

Randy Littlefield, a second former TSA employee named in court filings as an alleged co-conspirator, also has no charges outstanding.

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Prosecutors contend that between November 2010 and October 2011, Perez helped the smugglers avoid airport security by showing them how to avoid triggering TSA alarms.

The marijuana was being flown from Los Angeles to Boston, court papers show.

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