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TSA Agents, Police Officers, Busted In Interstate Oxy Ring
By
Garth Johnston
Published Sep 13, 2011
Modified Sep 13, 2011
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Carolina K. Smith, M.D. / Shutterstock.com
By
Garth Johnston
Published Sep 13, 2011
Modified Sep 13, 2011
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If the TSA had a face we'd like to think it would be so red right now. But then we remember that the TSA just doesn't care. Because beyond the whole ongoing profiling issue, it seems that once again agents for the Administration have been caught getting paid off to let drug dealers fly freely with their wares. Authorities today announced that they've caught TSA officers in Florida in New York conspiring to ship tens of thousands of Oxycodone pills north. In total the U.S. Attorney's Office today says it has arrested three TSA officers, a Westchester County police officer and a Florida state trooper and seven Connecticut residents who bought drugs.
The ring was broken up after the DEA arrested a man travelling from Florida to Connecticut in April. He flipped on his associates, telling authorities that in the past year or so he had made the trip north (sometimes by car) at least 65 times, each time carrying as many as 8,000 Oxycodone pills to sell to dealers in the Tristate area. He allegedly would bribe the TSA agents (two in Florida and one in Westchester County) with gift cards and cash in exchange for them turning a blind eye to his drug-filled bags. He also said he paid a Westchester County Police officer more than $20,000 over the year to make sure his cash remained safe going through security in White Plains.
"In these times, no one needs to be reminded about how dangerous it is when officers who have sworn to uphold the law accept money to `look the other way,'" U.S. Attorney David Fein said at a press conference today. Not that those arrested seemed to be too worried about what they were doing. According to the the affidavit, the informant had this depressing exchange with Bronx-based TSA agent Brigitte Jones when telling her he sells Oxycodone pills:
"I don't break the law," he said. "I don't rob banks."
"Okay, there's nothing wrong with that," Jones said.
"High class," the man said
"High end," Jones said, adding later, "Your secret is safe with me."
Jones allegedly said in another conversation with the man to let her know when he was arriving and `I'll take care of the rest."
And with fans like Rush Limbaugh, how else can you describe a drug like Oxy besides "high class?"
Tagged
connecticut
drug dealing
florida
new york
oxycodone
tsa
Garth Johnston
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