Texas man pleads guilty to flying drone into Fort Worth prison yard
TARRANT COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - A man who allegedly flew a drone loaded with drugs, electronics and other contraband into a Fort Worth prison yard has pleaded guilty.
Bryant LeRay Henderson was arrested and charged in August. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 5 to one count of attempt to provide contraband to a prisoner. He now faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Included in the contraband was methamphetamine, THC, tobacco, cell phones and mp3 players. According to court documents, the drone crashed inside a secure, fenced-in yard near the prison's HVAC shop, where it was recovered by staff.
"Contraband drone deliveries are quickly becoming the bane of prison officials' existence. Illicit goods pose a threat to guards and inmates alike – and when it comes to cell phones, the threat often extends outside prison walls. We are determined to stop this trend in its tracks," said U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham.
When he was arrested in August, Henderson was charged with one count of attempting to provide contraband in prison, one count of serving as an airman without an airman's certificate, and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Henderson could face five more years for serving as an airman without an airman's certificate, and 20 more years for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Plea papers show Henderson admitted to flying a drone loaded with contraband into the airspace of Federal Medical Center Fort Worth. Court documents say that affixed to the drone was a package containing 46 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 87 grams of pressed THC, two prepaid smartphones, and nine mp3 players.
"The criminal element will always take advantage of new opportunities for illegal activity as technology progresses," said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. DeSarno. "In this instance, excellent collaborative investigation among federal and local agencies led to federal charges and prevented contraband from entering the federal prison system."
There is also surveillance video from a nearby high school that showed Henderson driving up in a red Chevy Tahoe, removing a drone and a package from the vehicle, launching it towards the prison and driving off.
Prison staff reportedly found the drone controller, immediately paring it with the device.
The drone showed flight logs, of which investigators identified four flights entering FMC Fort Worth's airspace. Investigators also saw two flights that entered the airspace over Federal Correctional Institution Seagoville and another correctional center southeast of Dallas.
Cell phone records of Henderson's also show that the phone was near FMC Fort Worth around the time of the drone crash and near FCI Seagoville near the time of the drone's flight into the prison's airspace.
According to the FAA's database, Henderson did not have an airman's certification and the drone he used was registered to another owner who cancelled their registration in August 2018.