Skip to main content
Cloudy icon
79º

Woman sentenced after boarding flight for Florida with whole lot of pot

Woman sentenced after boarding flight for Florida with 62 pounds of marijuana (Courtesy: Alachua County Sheriff's Office)

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – A California woman has been sentenced after deputies said she packed dozens of pounds of marijuana in her luggage for a flight to Florida.

In May 2021, Alachua County deputies said they were informed that a passenger had boarded an American Airlines flight in Sacramento for Gainesville with “individual packages of marijuana, each weighing approximately 1 pound inside her luggage.”

Recommended Videos



Because of weather concerns, the luggage made it to Gainesville Regional Airport before Mandy Lee Carlson, 31, and was placed in a secure location in the airport.

When Carlson arrived later, deputies said she picked up the luggage and was immediately detained.

During a check, a drug-sniffing K-9 alerted that the luggage contained marijuana. Deputies searched and said they found 62 pounds of pot.

Last week, Carlson entered a plea of no contest to charges of possession with intent to sell cannabis and transportation of drug paraphernalia.

She was sentenced to a year in prison and two years of probation.


About the Author
Steve Owen headshot

Steve Owen is the Assistant News Director at WPLG, and helps lead the daily news operations.

Recommended Videos