Bond set for Delta employee facing drug charges
A federal judge Monday set a $150,000 bond for one of three Delta Air Lines employees who were recently indicted on charges they tried to smuggle more than $600,000 worth of drugs through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
U.S. Magistrate Linda Walker also said that, once bond is posted, Carlos R. Springer, 41, of Hampton, must remain confined to his home, stay away from Delta and its employees and have no communications with co-defendants Kelvin Rondon and Luis Marroquin, both of Atlanta. Marroquin remains a fugitive.
In a statement released last week, U.S. Attorney Sally Yates said a Delta agent found a piece of unclaimed luggage on a baggage carousel on Jan. 13 with a tag corresponding to Flight 364 from Mexico City.
Customs and Border Protection agents inspected the luggage and found multiple packages of meth and heroin, Yates said.
Springer, the supervisor of the ramp employees who unloaded the luggage from Flight 364, was interviewed by federal agents, who searched his cellphone and found incriminating text messages between him and Marroquin, Yates said.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Delta Air Lines Security.
Anyone with information about Marroquin's whereabouts is asked to contact the Homeland Security tip line at 1-866-347-2423.
About the Author
Bill Rankin has been an AJC reporter for more than 30 years. His father, Jim Rankin, worked as an editor for the newspaper for 26 years, retiring in 1986. Bill has primarily covered the state’s court system, doing all he can do to keep the scales of justice on an even keel. Since 2015, he has been the host of the newspaper’s Breakdown podcast.
