Marine
02-01-2003, 5:52pm
NEW YORK (AP) _ A contestant on ABC's reality dating show "The Bachelorette" was charged Friday with trying to smuggle a small amount of cocaine aboard an airline at John F. Kennedy Airport, authorities said.
Greg S. Todtman, 28, of New York, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, said Tony Ciavolella, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Ciavolella said airport personnel found a small quantity of drugs on Todtman about 3 p.m. during a search at a security checkpoint in the American Airlines terminal. Todtman, who was headed to Los Angeles, was then booked by Port Authority police and released with a desk appearance ticket.
Kevin Brockman, a spokesman for ABC, disputed that Todtman was carrying cocaine, but rather was carrying a sleeping pill he did not have a prescription for.
The six-episode series, staring "The Bachelor" runner-up Trista Rehn, began in January with Rehn choosing from among 25 men. Todtman was one of the final four contestants, before being rejected in episode 4. Episode 5 is scheduled to air Wednesday.
"He said the last few days have been such a whirlwind for him, that all he wanted to do was get on the plane, take the pill and go to sleep," Brockman said.
"The Bachelorette" has been one of ABC's highest rated shows this year. The debut of the series in January drew 17.4 million viewers, making it the highest rated show for that time slot. The last episode drew more than 11.8 million viewers.
A message left at a number listed for Todtman was not immediately returned.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--bachelorette-coca0131jan31,0,1006205.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire
Greg S. Todtman, 28, of New York, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor, said Tony Ciavolella, a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
Ciavolella said airport personnel found a small quantity of drugs on Todtman about 3 p.m. during a search at a security checkpoint in the American Airlines terminal. Todtman, who was headed to Los Angeles, was then booked by Port Authority police and released with a desk appearance ticket.
Kevin Brockman, a spokesman for ABC, disputed that Todtman was carrying cocaine, but rather was carrying a sleeping pill he did not have a prescription for.
The six-episode series, staring "The Bachelor" runner-up Trista Rehn, began in January with Rehn choosing from among 25 men. Todtman was one of the final four contestants, before being rejected in episode 4. Episode 5 is scheduled to air Wednesday.
"He said the last few days have been such a whirlwind for him, that all he wanted to do was get on the plane, take the pill and go to sleep," Brockman said.
"The Bachelorette" has been one of ABC's highest rated shows this year. The debut of the series in January drew 17.4 million viewers, making it the highest rated show for that time slot. The last episode drew more than 11.8 million viewers.
A message left at a number listed for Todtman was not immediately returned.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ny--bachelorette-coca0131jan31,0,1006205.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire