The JetBlue flight attendant from Queens who kicked off her designer heels and sprinted down an up escalator when caught with 60 pounds of cocaine in her luggage at LAX last March pleaded guilty to conspiracy Monday.
Marsha Gay Reynolds, 32, appeared in Los Angeles federal court wearing a white jail uniform and entered her plea to one felony count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute.
She faces 10 years to life in prison at her sentencing set for March 13.
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“She’s doing fine. She’s not a jailbird,” her lawyer Stuart Goldfarb told the Daily News after the hearing.
“This is the first time she’s been charged with anything like this.”
He declined to say how much his client knew about the multimillion-dollar cocaine trafficking scheme, but stressed Reynolds’ plea was not tied to any agreement with prosecutors to testify against possible co-conspirators.
“If someone accepts responsibility, there’s a possibility of (her) getting less time,” he said. “(But) she’s not cooperating. She’s not doing that.”
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The Jamaica-born former beauty pageant contestant — a runner-up in the Miss Jamaica World pageant in 2008 — was paid thousands of dollars to smuggle carry-on bags through airport screening checkpoints and then hand them off to a co-conspirator on the other side before the individual boarded flights, prosecutors said.
As a JetBlue employee, Reynolds had access to the Known Crew Member (KCM) checkpoints that are generally exempt from TSA baggage screening except in rare cases of random searches
Authorities say she left behind 60 pounds of cocaine after flinging off her heels and running from security at Los Angeles International Airport.
Authorities say she left behind 60 pounds of cocaine after flinging off her heels and running from security at Los Angeles International Airport. (LOS ANGELES AIRPORT POLICE)
Prosecutors said Reynolds and the co-conspirator — identified only by the initials G.B. in court records — traveled together between New York and Los Angeles on multiple flights between October 2015 and March 2016.
It was March 18 that Reynolds was attempting to get the 60 pounds of cocaine through a KCM checkpoint at Los Angeles International Airport when she was flagged by the computer for a bag search.
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She became visibly agitated and spoke to someone on her cell phone in what sounded like a foreign language before she ditched her shoes and made her daring dash, leaving the bags behind, court documents said.
Security officials opted to worry about the risk posed by the abandoned luggage rather than chase after her, and she disappeared from the terminal, the court paperwork said.
Her co-conspirator boarded a flight and later tried to persuade Reynolds to flee to Jamaica, authorities said.
Instead, Reynolds staffed a flight back to New York on March 19, then failed to show up for work the next day, according to court documents.
She was arrested March 23 after meeting with G.B. in New York and receiving a “burner phone” to communicate without government surveillance, court documents said.
Already in the U.S. illegally and using stolen identities, G.B. boarded a flight from New York to Miami on March 23 and then fled to Jamaica, authorities said.
A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles said he couldn’t comment on any effort to find and charge G.B., calling the case an ongoing investigation
So I guess they will go get him as soon as they fowler out his whereabout
A feel it for this young lady fe know say she’s going to prison so young ‘ imagine spending most off your young life in prison for what’s not yours trust me my girl that’s a hard pill to swallow tears .
Tears??? She is grown. I care more about all the lives that have been destroyed by what she did and has been doing for only God knows how long. Now her name will not only be synonymous with brains and beauty but convicted criminal as well. She has an opportunity to call names which may or may not lower her sentence but she has chosen not to do so. If she does not care why do you?
She knew what she was doing and knew the consequences. She chose to jeopardize her freedom for money. She will now pay the price while G.B deh a Jamaica a eat steamed fish and bammy.
Feel sorry fi mi Rhass her man never force her to do it him ask her and she said yes. so sorry for what. Marsha will be fine when she come from jail a big house a ST Elizabeth she will be going to redeem her Gucci shoes she run left.
Gal yah did a live good offa di cocaine money enuh….. But mi Nuh know why when dem a hustle dem Nuh just bill a ting and done.
Singing like a parakeet on steroids.
There is no plea agreement without cooperation. Unless what they are saying is she pled guilty to avoid a trial and possible life sentence.
Good luck hunny. Yu can guh hype pon di Bush dem….lol.
Sing some what sikes to catch him burner phone and first comment find instead of fowler typo error she will proberly not testify on him as they already listen on the phone and hear the evidence they needed
GB living in Jamaica way up in the mansion on the hills. I doubt they will ever find him. He has laid very low and under the radar since coming back to JA. Marsha on the other hand, was “asked”, not forced to do what she did. She fully well knew the consequences of her actions… if caught. Craven land her 10 years. I wonder if they will revoke her citizenship? She committed a felony against the USA. Marsha, you will be ok. You have great family support. Mother and father are there for you. Good luck.
Is G.B. Gary British?
Marshagay Is NOT from st Elizabeth !
Stop chat fckry she has no house there
Must be a diff Marsha y’all talkin
Did someone up top type the word tears? A wah de blouse and skirt dis doe eeh? Well excuse me!……..but there is no Pity City around here. Nope!
Dis guilty plea a badda mi doe. Marsha, did yu mek dis lawyer convince yu seh is the minimum sentence of ten years yu gwine get? Did he somehow get the prosecutor to convince yu seh dem nah guh fling di book at yu and gi yu thirty years? Mi nuh tink yu aguh dat lucky enuh, not wid dat kind a weight and inna di hairpout. Prosecutor and your lawyer can seh anything dem want, but please to memba seh it are di judge one weh shall determine yu fate.
Betta yu sing two big tune and get 3-5, dan play loyal and get 30. Yu see how yu cute? When dem bush eendeh done wid yu, yu punny tongue deh a grung.
Pull a Mermaid an call it a day fe real. She probably did though. We cyan too go wid dem “news” yah eno.
U think Gary British a eediat??? gary have green card over four years now…id assume he would have gotten his citizenship by now.
She dont know di man real name
They won’t revoke her citizenship because it’s not in the criteria but she sure doesn’t look like she can handle prison for 10 years do she have kids I tell you bout these woman sing my girl cause that man have woman a sleep at him yard right now a nam big food and a enjoy fe him life when you come him proberly don’t even want u again
By the time she gets out she will be minimum 42. No children and that man will be gone. No man nuh DAT loyal fi wait like Winny Mandela while yuh in prison. Yuh pretty but nuh DAT prwtty . he would have moved on. Not worth it. Talk and let them put you in witness protection and you start your life over.
Anonymous 6:03pm read and read with understanding fool. nobody said Marsha come from ST Elizabeth. it was stated that she will go jail and come out and join her man in St Elizabeth inna the big house. meaning the man da a St Elizabeth living. you need it any clearly than that