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POLICE foiled an elaborate plot to deliver contraband such as McDonald’s sandwiches and cigarettes to a Georgia jail using drones.
The alleged smugglers got within a mile of the Fulton County Jail on Tuesday night before police stopped them in their tracks.
Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat told local ABC affiliate WSB-TV that authorities were able to stop what authorities believe to be an attempted drone drop to the jail.
Investigator Jermaine Moore listed the items he found in the alleged smugglers’ car: “Marijuana, cell phone chargers, nine cell phones, oxycodone, various pills, cord, like 550 cord which is used to make the drops using the drone, and the packaging materials.”
Police also recovered 48 packages of cigarettes and more than 100 loose cigarettes.
It is illegal to have cellphones and tobacco within the jail.
Labat said that tobacco is worth “thousands of dollars” in there.
The alleged smugglers, Jeffery Jenkins and Richard Redding, were arrested after Moore stopped their car thanks to a tip.
Authorities said Moore also saw a drone and a drone controller in the car.
Jenkins and Redding were later charged in connection to the suspected drone drop.
Their charges included trafficking in illegal drugs and possession of prohibited items by inmate or providing prohibited items to inmate.
They have both maintained their innocence.
POLICE CONNECT THE DOTS
Police believe that this scheme may have been a part of a bigger plot.
Natalie Ammons, director of communications for the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, said that similar packaging from Tuesday’s scheme led investigators to link it to a contraband drop last weekend.
The previous drop included McDonald’s chicken sandwiches and more oxycodone.
The contraband was found in jail fencing, which police believe could mean it got stuck during an attempted drone drop.
“We are combating technology with technology and good old-fashioned detective work,” Labat said.
He added: “As we continue to investigate, we continue be really cognizant of the fact that this is a new trend.”
Labat said that Tuesday’s contraband interception is the largest of its kind that police have seen in four years.
He added that he thinks over half of the jail’s contraband is delivered using drones.
Labat said he’s contacted other sheriffs and the Georgia Department of Corrections to see if this is a broader trend.
Drones dropping contraband into jails and prisons is a cross-state issue.
On Tuesday, two men were sentenced for an operation in which drugs, cell phones and other items were smuggled into prisons across Ohio using drones.
What Contraband Was Smuggled?
Police recovered a plethora of contraband in Tuesday’s drone drop bust:
- Nine cell phones
- Cell phone chargers
- Cigarettes
- Marijuana
- Oxycodone
- Various pills
- Cigarettes
SUSPECTS SPEAK OUT
One of the alleged smugglers, Redding, said he was “just the driver” in Tuesday’s scheme.
When asked how much he was paid for the drone drop, Redding said, “Chump change.”
“Especially compared to the time you’re now facing if you’re convicted of it?” local reporter Mark Winne asked him.
Redding replied, “Yessir, but I didn’t do anything.”
The other suspect, Jenkins, said he was innocent but did not comment further.
The U.S. Sun reached out to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office for updates on the case.
