A JetBlue flight attendant who officials say fled security as she attempted to smuggle nearly 70 pounds of what they think is cocaine turned herself in to authorities Wednesday.
Marsha Gay Reynolds, 31, surrendered to agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration in New York, said Timothy Massino, spokesman for the DEA in Los Angeles.
She was charged with possession with the intent to distribute.
Massino said no other information would be released as the investigation remains active.
Witnesses say that after being pulled aside last week for random screening at Los Angeles International Airport, the flight attendant made a phone call, kicked off her shoes and ran off -- leaving the cocaine-filled luggage behind -- according to the union for LAX police officers.
"Our nation's security depends on every individual with security clearances to honor the trust placed in them," U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker said in a statement.
"The defendant's conduct violated that trust and, in the process, exposed the public to a major narcotics transaction and the dangers inherent to such a transaction. The intervention of the Transportation Security Administration and law enforcement ensured the safety of the passengers and staff at LAX."
The union says the case is an example of why LAX should screen all people entering the airport, as Miami and Orlando's international airports do.
Reynolds is expected to make her initial court appearance Thursday.
If convicted, she could face up to life in federal prison.
(culled from www.cnn.com)
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