TSA Drug Ring Pleads Guilty

alexmc22
Sept 25, 2012

Former TSA officer Jonathan Best, 31 years old, of Port St Lucie, FL was sentenced today in New Haven by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall to 6 years and 4 months in prison and an additional 3 years of probation. Best plead guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone. Two other former TSA officers and one former New York police officer also plead guilty in the case. Christopher Allen, 45, of Palm Beach Gardens was also involved in the operation.

Best accepted cash to allow the oxycodone through airport security and also agreed to travel to Connecticut to help launder the profit. The drugs were smuggled through Palm Beach International airport where Best worked. Best and Allen helped move tens of thousands of oxycodone pills through Palm beach International starting in December, 2011 by allowing the traffickers to pass through security with the oxycodone.

the DEA Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force received a tip in April that kicked off the investigation into their drug smuggling operation. The leader of the operation was arrested and told police he would give Best or Allen money or gift cards in exchange for passage. He admitted to carrying up to 8,000 pills per trip. Best used the money to pay off his house and credit cards. Allen is to be sentenced in November.

Seattle Times
The Palm Beach Post