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DOJ Charges 12 in Drone Smuggling Scheme Targeting 10 Prisons
Prosecutors say the group used six heavy-payload drones to make at least 38 contraband drops, including drugs, phones and saw blades.
United States Attorney William Keyes announced Wednesday that 12 individuals were indicted for operating a drone-smuggling enterprise that delivered contraband to 10 federal prisons across eight states.
The conspiracy allegedly operated from a former Macon, Georgia, daycare center nicknamed 'The Lab,' using six drones to make at least 38 deliveries between September 2023 and May 2026.
Ringleader Ira Christopher Jackson coordinated the drops from 'The Lab,' while FBI Atlanta Special Agent Marlo Graham noted facilities 'looked like a small airport' at night due to frequent deliveries.
All 12 defendants remain in federal custody facing charges ranging from drug distribution to conspiracy, with potential sentences spanning five years to life in prison if convicted.
Earlier this year, 21 attorneys general launched a multi-state effort to combat what they described as an 'alarming' rise in drones illegally dropping contraband into prisons, signaling broader enforcement momentum.
The Justice Department announced charges against a “sophisticated” criminal operations group that it says used high-powered drones to deliver weapons, drugs, cell phones, and escape tools to prisons in East Coast states.