Three Georgia men indicted for plan to smuggle drugs into prison by drone

Three Georgia men have been indicted after an attempt to smuggle drugs into a Georgia state prison by drone. The 37-year-old George Lo, an inmate at Smith State Prison in Glennville, 34-year-old Nicholas Lo, and 34-year-old Cheikh Toure are charged with conspiracy.

Three Georgia men indicted for plan to smuggle drugs into prison by drone

The Lo’s are also charged with owning an unregistered aircraft that was operated, attempted to be operated, or allowed to be operated by another person. Nicholas Lo and Toure are charged with serving or attempting to serve as an airman without an airman’s certificate, reports WTOC.

“Drone delivered contraband, including cell phones, into correctional facilities, is an emerging threat endangering the safety of those inside and outside the prison walls,” said U.S. Attorney Christine. “Our office works aggressively with law enforcement partners such as the Georgia Department of Corrections to crash-land these dangerous schemes.”

According to court documents, George Lo worked with Lo and Toure to create a plan that would involve the use of a drone to deliver contraband to the prison.

Telfair County Sheriff’s Deputies spotted a vehicle parked about 100 yards away from the prison on August 26th, 2019. The deputies found Lo and Toure hiding in the woods with a large duffel bag. Inside the bag were a drone, a RadioLink AT95 UAS controller, a Spektrum video monitor, and a headset. In addition, the bag contained 14 cell phones, at least 74 grams of tobacco, a digital scale, earbud headphones, and firearm ammunition.

The two men were taken into custody and while Toure pled not guilty and remains free on bond, Lo is currently in the Hays State Prison.

“Simply put, the illicit use of drones for the distribution of contraband is dangerous and illegal,” said Todd Damiani, Regional Special Agent-In-Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to partner with law enforcement and prosecutors to pursue those who intentionally violate federal regulations for nefarious activities.”

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Photo credit: Gray News