January 12, 1999

FOUR CALIFORNIA WOMEN ARRESTED AT LA GUARDIA AIRPORT FOR POSSESSION OF 400 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA WORTH MORE THAN ONE MILLION DOLLARS

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that four women from California were arrested on January 9, 1999 at La Guardia Airport after one million dollars worth of marijuana was discovered in their luggage.

District Attorney Brown identified the defendants as Dawn Bailey, 21, of 191 South Lincoln Avenue in El Cajon; Sheri-Rae Brown, 22, of 326 West Park Avenue, El Cajon; Margaret Savage, 27, sister of defendant Brown, of 9723 Winter Gardens in Lakeside; and Amy Shewmake, 22, of 649 South Lincoln Avenue, El Cajon, California. They all have been charged with criminal possession of marijuana in the first degree.

According to District Attorney Brown, it is alleged that the four women told Port Authority Police that they were approached by unknown persons in California who offered to pay for their airline tickets if they would transport the marijuana from Los Angeles to New York where they would be met by an unknown individual who would pay them one thousand dollars each in exchange for thirteen pieces of luggage containing the drugs. The women were stranded in Chicago at O'Hare International Airport due to inclement weather. However 12 of the 13 pieces of luggage were sent ahead to La Guardia Airport. Port Authority police were advised that one of the bags was leaking a substance that appeared to be mustard which apparently had been used to conceal the smell of the marijuana. After the defendants' plane landed at La Guardia, the women attempted to retrieve the baggage and were arrested.

ADA Matthew Schechter of the Queens District Attorney's Narcotics Investigation Bureau under the supervision of Bureau Chief Peter A. Crusco, and the overall supervision of Assistant District Attorney Robert D. Alexander, is in charge of the case.

It is to be noted that an arrest is merely an accusation and that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty.