The Transportation Security Agency has had more than its fair share of black eyes in the past few years. Now, two of their current employees and two former employees are in need of a Los Angeles federal crimes attorney after being arrested on federal drug crimes.

In a shocking story, the TSA agents reportedly allowed drug smugglers to pass through Los Angeles International Airport x-ray machines with large quantities of cocaine and other drugs in exchange for money.

The federal indictment outlines 5 separate incidents where the agents accepted as much as $2,400 per incident to allow drug smugglers free reign to pass through security checkpoints. The group was allegedly masterminded by a disgruntled former TSA employee who had been fired in 2010.

If convicted, each defendant faces a minimum of 10 years in federal prison. Punishments for federal crimes are almost always more severe than punishments for state crimes. In addition to longer prison sentences, people convicted of a federal crime typically serve their sentence at a federal prison far from their home, and also serve a much longer percentage of their sentence when compared to people convicted in state courts.

It is disturbing to think that individuals charged with protecting our airways could be bought for so little. While the allegations against the four accused are just that – allegations – these arrests come on the heels of a ring of baggage handlers arrested at a US airport who were stealing from checked luggage.

There is no word on whether the accused have hired an attorney yet or not.