LOS ANGELES, California – A JetBlue flight attendant and former Jamaican beauty queen who allegedly attempted to use her credentials to bring nearly 70 lb. of cocaine through a security checkpoint at LA International Airport (LAX) is charged with a federal narcotics trafficking offence.

Marsha Reynolds, 31, a Jamaican-born U.S. citizen, was taken into custody at John F. Kennedy International Airport after she surrendered to agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Field Division.

Reynolds allegedly abandoned 68.49 lb. of cocaine after being directed to a secondary screening area at LAX.

She was charged in U.S. District Court with possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.

The affidavit alleges Reynolds approached the Known Crew Member security checkpoint in Terminal 4 at LAX. After showing her official badge and identification to the Transport Security Administration officer on duty, Reynolds was randomly selected for additional screening.

She was escorted to a secondary screening area. Upon arriving at this checkpoint, Reynolds dropped her luggage, removed her shoes and fled, running down an upward-traveling escalator away from TSA officers.

According to the affidavit, law enforcement officials followed protocol to determine that Reynolds’ luggage did not contain explosives or any dangerous devices. A LAX police officer then conducted an inspection of the bag and discovered a total of 11 individually wrapped packages later determined to contain cocaine.

If Reynolds is convicted of the narcotics trafficking offence, she would face a statutory maximum penalty of life in federal prison, and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years.

Reynolds graduated from New York University and ran track there. She was a runner-up in the Miss Jamaica World 2008 pageant, which sends the country’s representative to Miss World contests.