A former federal officer pleaded guilty Thursday to conspiring to smuggle drugs through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Timothy G. Gregory, 26, who worked as a Transportation Security Administration officer at Hartsfield-Jackson, was caught in a sting operation conducted by federal investigators, Sally Quillian Yates, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, said in a statement.

On Feb. 24 of this year, Yates said, an undercover officer provided Gregory with 5 kilograms of fake cocaine and $5,000 in cash. Gregory, wearing a TSA uniform, took the fake drugs through airport security and delivered them to another undercover officer, Yates said.

On a second occasion in May, Gregory received 10 kilograms of fake cocaine and agreed to deliver it to Commerce, Ga., Yates said.

Gregory, of DeKalb County, was indicted in August on three counts of drug trafficking. On Thursday he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of possession of drugs with intent to distribute.

Sentencing is set for Dec. 18. He could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of $10 million.

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC