Former TSA officer accused in drug trafficking ring ordered to stay in jail

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A former Transportation Security Administration agent accused of being the leader of a drug-trafficking network was ordered Monday to stay in jail.

Jamie Blunder, 48, who worked as a TSA agent at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, is one of nine people charged in a drug-trafficking case that authorities said spanned from Charlotte to Greensboro.

Federal authorities also arrested Aaron Dixon, Alafia Fowles, Dennis Harrington, Irvin Lampley, Samuel Little, David Pate and Cameron Roberts. The ninth defendant, Willie Nevius, has not been arrested yet.

(Top: Jamie Blunder, Alafia Fowles, Dennis Harrington
Bottom: Irvin Lampley, David Pate, Cameron Roberts
Not Pictured: Aaron Dixon, Samuel Little)

Channel 9 was in federal court Monday when Blunder's attorney argued for his release from jail. His attorney said Blunder should be released because he supports a child and helps his mother. His attorney also argued that he has family support to keep him on the right track.

But federal prosecutors said that if Blunder got out of jail, he would go right back to trafficking drugs. They also said he used his position as a TSA officer for leverage, another reason to keep him behind bars.

The judge decided to keep Blunder in jail. He said the crimes were too serious to let him out on pretrial release.

A criminal complaint shows Blunder used a home in Greensboro as the "stash-house" where the suspects stored, processed, packaged and distributed kilogram-quantities of cocaine. The documents detail numerous "hand-to-hand" drug and money exchanges between Blunder and several others listed in the complaint.

The criminal complaint shows there's no indication that Blunder used Charlotte Douglas International Airport to transfer any drugs. It does accuse Blunder of using his badge and credentials to avoid detection during his travels to and from Greensboro.

Blunder's arraignment hearing is set for Nov. 28.

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