Three in Georgia Accused of Using a Drone to Deliver Contraband inside a Prison

A late-night drone run outside Washington State Prison in Davisboro, Georgia ended with three arrests and a car being pinned after a PIT maneuver. According to wrdw.com, a Washington County deputy heard a drone overhead around 2:45 a.m., then watched it touch down near the facility with a package of contraband.

A speeding vehicle leaving the area refused to stop, deputies said, and the pursuit ended with the driver being forced off the road. Georgia Department of Corrections K-9 units assisted in tracking evidence after the occupants allegedly discarded bags from the car during the chase.

What are the Suspects Being Charged With?

Deputies identified the suspects as Marquis Gilmore, 29, of Brookhaven; Cecil Twillie, 18, of Loganville; and Robert Young, 25. The charge list is long: use of an unmanned aircraft system, three counts of items prohibited by inmates, crossing guard lines with drugs, possession of tools during the commission of a crime, and possession of marijuana and oxycodone with intent to distribute.

Twillie faces an additional obstruction count. Young faces a stack of driving offenses tied to the pursuit, including fleeing to elude, failure to maintain lane, and aggressive driving.

Washington State Prison… in Georgia?

If the location sounds familiar, it is. According to an earlier article written our editor, Haye Kesteloo, Washington State Prison (located in Davisboro, GA) has experienced a steady increase in attempted drone drops throughout 2025.

“Washington State Prison has become the clearest example of why drone policy matters beyond hobbyists and commercial operators. Two major busts in 10 days. Over 20 interdictions last year alone. More than 1,000 statewide incidents since 2022. This isn’t a theoretical problem—it’s a full-blown crisis that’s overwhelming local law enforcement.”

The rhythm is similar each time: launch from a rural property or roadside pull-off, push the aircraft over the fence line at night, drop a package, then scurry to a recovery point before anyone notices the sound.

One Washington County resident recently described how strangers tried to stage a drop from his family’s yard. Sheriff Joel Cochran told WGXA the county jail is holding a large share of inmates on prison-drop cases and that the state has discussed targeted cellphone jamming in facilities to blunt coordination from contraband phones.

That aligns with the pattern corrections agencies across the country are seeing: the more phones on the inside, the more coordination is required for deliveries on the outside.

DroneXL’s Take:

These incidents are not about hobby flying gone wrong. They are methodical smuggling runs that utilize professional and enterprise-level equipment. When interdictions like this one succeed, the charge sheets often list exactly the kinds of items corrections officers say fuel violence inside: drugs, phones, and tools.

The more of these cases that accumulate at a single facility, the more likely it is that state corrections will push for technical counter-UAS options, closer patrols with deputies, and legislative tweaks that give wardens more flexibility to act.

Let me know below if you have an idea of something we could do to explore the number of attempted smuggling runs here in the U.S. I’m all ears!