July 22, 2014

Former Airport Baggage Handler Sentenced to 11 Years for Participating in Drug Conspiracy

PHILADELPHIA—James Mickens, 30, of Philadelphia was sentenced today to 11 years in prison for his participation in a large scale drug organization. Between February 2010 and July 2011, Mickens, a former U.S. Airways baggage claim handler at the Philadelphia International Airport, used his Airport secured access card to smuggle hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds through the Airport, in order to avoid detection by law enforcement. Further, Mickens made multiple trips to Los Angeles, California for the drug organization, where multiple kilograms of cocaine and hundreds of pounds of marijuana were purchased and transported back to Philadelphia as checked luggage.

In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Gene E. K. Pratter ordered five years of supervised release and a $200 special assessment.

The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations, and the Philadelphia Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Marston.