BEAUMONT, Texas – A Houston man has pleaded guilty to federal violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Brit Featherston today.
Davien Phillip Turner, also known as Davien Phillip Mayo, 44, pleaded guilty to owning or operating a drone that is not registered, today before U.S. District Judge Marica A. Crone.
Prisons around the country have faced the problem of individuals using drones to fly over prison complexes and drop contraband items to the prison population. According to information presented in court, on May 19, 2022, law enforcement officials in Jefferson County, Texas were alerted that a person was operating a drone on the property of the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont. Law enforcement officers responded and eventually found Turner in the area where the drone was being operated. Near Turner, officers discovered a DJI Matrice 600 Pro Drone.
Law enforcement officers also discovered several bags near the drone that Turner had planned to drop into the prison complex via the drone. Inside those bags were tobacco, cell phones, cell phone chargers, various tools, vape pens, and other items. Those items were to be sold by inmates within the prison.
Under federal law, this type of drone was required to be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, and Turner had failed to do so. Furthermore, to operate a drone under these circumstances, a certificate was needed, which Turner also had not obtained.
Turner was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 12, 2022. He faces up to three years in federal prison at sentencing.
DOJ
The post Man Used Drone To Smuggle Contraband Into Texas Prison, Prosecutors Say appeared first on Breaking911.