ST. LOUIS: An employee of American Airlines Cargo Fleet Service and two others smuggled methamphetamines and cocaine to St. Louis in airline luggage, federal prosecutors said.
Between February and May, Chalamar Schultz Tuipelehake, 36, arranged for dealers in California to ship their drugs via Poe Purcell, 40, a clerk for the cargo service at Los Angeles International Airport, prosecutors said. Purcell, who had worked for the cargo service since 2001, helped the drug dealers avoid detection, they said.
Both men are from California and were arrested in Los Angeles. Francis Frost, 32, retrieved the suitcases at the end of the flight, prosecutors said. He has not been arrested.
All were indicted here on July 8 on charges including conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and conspiracy to enter a secured area of airport under false pretenses.
“At American Airlines, our top priority is the safety and security of our customers and employees. We take this matter very seriously, and have been cooperating with law enforcement throughout their investigation,” said a statement emailed by American spokesman Ross Feinstein.
