A Northridge man pleaded guilty Monday to a federal charge for possessing two suitcases containing more than a dozen clothing items — including a cow pajama onesie — caked in methamphetamine while preparing to board a flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Australia late last year.
Raj Matharu, 31, pleaded guilty in downtown Los Angeles to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
U.S. District Judge Dale Fischer scheduled an Oct. 20 sentencing hearing, at which time Matharu will face a term of between 10 years and life in federal prison, court papers state.
On Nov. 6, 2024, Matharu attempted to travel from Los Angeles to Sydney via airplane. He carried with him two suitcases filled with clothing that had been coated with nearly 2.4 pounds of methamphetamine, according to federal prosecutors.
After arriving at LAX, Matharu was told his bags were overweight and opened both suitcases to shift items between them — an act captured by airport surveillance cameras, prosecutors said. He then successfully checked his luggage containing the meth-soaked clothes, according to his plea agreement.
X-ray screening revealed abnormalities in Matharu’s suitcases, and they were flagged for secondary review. Officers inspected one suitcase and felt stiff clothing. Prosecutors said a K9 unit was called, and Matharu was intercepted by officers after he crossed the jet bridge to board his Australia-bound flight. He was brought to the screening area, where he confirmed the two bags were his and that he packed them himself, court papers show.
Officers opened the bags in front of Matharu, where they found stiffly dried white clothing caked in a powdery substance, as well as loose white residue on the lining and throughout both cases, all of which tested positive for methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Further extraction of the substance from six of a total of 17 items in the suitcases and additional laboratory testing revealed that those items contained methamphetamine, court papers show.
Matharu admitted in his plea agreement that, at the time he possessed the suitcases, he knew he was transporting methamphetamine or some other federally controlled substance and that he intended to distribute it in Australia.