Airport Worker Searches Luggage in Hopes of Getting a Monetary $$$ Reward From the DEA.

The United States appealed from orders of the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Donald S. Voorhees, J., granting defendants’ suppression motions. The Court of Appeals, J. Blaine Anderson, Circuit Judge, held that action of airline employee in opening a “Speed Pak” was that of a government agent where only reason he opened case was his suspicion that it contained illegal drugs, employee, who at one time had been a listed informant, expected a probable reward from Drug Enforcement Administration, DEA agent testified that such expectation was reasonable and that although agency had no prior knowledge of the particular search and had not directed employee to perform it, it had encouraged him to engage in such types of search and employee had previously opened Speed Paks with no discouragement from the agency and had been rewarded for providing drug information in the past, although his informant’s file had previously been closed.

United States v. Walther, 652 F.2d 788 (9th Cir. 1981). Full case here: https://casetext.com/case/united-states-v-walther