Man pleads guilty to using drone to deliver contraband to federal prison in Fort Worth
A man from Smithville has pleaded guilty to using a drone to smuggle contraband into a Fort Worth federal prison, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
Bryant LeRay Henderson, 42, has pleaded guilty to flying a drone loaded with drugs and other contraband into the prison. Henderson flew the drone into restricted airspace over Federal Medical Center Fort Worth. He was charged in August and pleaded guilty Wednesday.
The Justice Department said contraband drone deliveries are becoming a a serious problem for prison officials, with some contraband that is smuggled in creating threats to guards and other inmates. In cases of cell phones smuggled in, the threats can extend to those outside the prison.
Henderson admitted in plea papers to flying the drone, loaded with contraband including methamphetamine, THC, tobacco, cell phones and mp3 players, knowing it was carrying prohibited items, according to the Justice Department. The drone crashed into a secure, fenced-in yard near the prison’s HVAC shop where it was recovered by staff.
Surveillance footage pulled from a nearby high school showed Henderson drive up in a red Chevy Tahoe and fly the drone toward the prison before driving off, according to the Justice Department.
When they found the truck, police found inside it accessories the controller, for the drone such as rechargeable batteries, a propeller box and dropping mechanisms along with 18 smartphones. When police turned on the drone’s controller, it immediately paired with the drone recovered in the prison yard.
The drone’s flight logs showed four flights into the Fort Worth prison’s airspace along with two that intruded into the airspace of a federal prison in Seagoville, according to the Department of Justice. A search of Henderson’s phone records showed he was near the prison at the time of the drone’s intrusion into prison airspace.
Henderson faces up to 20 years in prison with his guilty plea, according to the Department of Justice.
This story was originally published October 6, 2022 at 10:32 PM.