A former worker at Los Angeles International Airport pleaded guilty Monday to a federal charge for trying to smuggle more than two pounds of heroin wrapped as Christmas gifts onto a jetliner.
James Mitchell, who lives in the Pico-Union area of Los Angeles, entered his plea to a single felony count of possession with intent to distribute at least a kilogram — equal to 2.2 pounds — of heroin.
He faces between five and 40 years in federal prison when he is sentenced July 10, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Mitchell, 25, was arrested Dec. 10 after attempting to smuggle more than two pounds of heroin through an LAX security checkpoint and onto a plane bound for Cincinnati, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Mitchell, who had purchased a one-way ticket, checked one piece of luggage that triggered an alert for “an unknown dense material” during an image scan by the Transportation Security Administration.
An inspection of the bag revealed “six packages of a suspicious gray brittle concrete-like substance,” one of which later tested positive for heroin, prosecutors wrote in court documents.
The packages, wrapped in Christmas-themed paper, gave off a “vinegar odor,” which prompted Los Angeles Airport Police to seek assistance from a hazardous materials unit. A portion of Terminal 3 was closed while personnel worked to detect and alleviate any potential chemical threat.
Investigators ultimately tracked Mitchell down at his home, obtained an arrest warrant, and took him into custody without incident.
After his arrest, investigators confirmed Mitchell was an employee of Aero Port Services — which provides wheelchair and baggage porter services and aircraft ground servicing at LAX — and had direct access to secure areas of the airport, court papers state.
