Police Intercept Drone Delivery Of Drugs, Cell Phone At A Michigan Prison

An attempt by Michigan prisoners to get stoned and phoned with a drone was halted by police.

Just before 4 a.m. on Aug. 17, two corrections officers at the Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility in Ionia — halfway between Lansing and Grand Rapids — heard the drone in the prison yard area, according to a Michigan Department of Corrections release.

As officers investigated, the drone dropped a package near a housing unit at the prison, according to the department. The drone then returned and dropped a second package.

Three individuals and a vehicle were detained near the prison in connection with the drone delivery. It’s one of the first instances nationally where suspects were arrested immediately after the alleged introduction of contraband into a prison, according to the department.

The packages contained drugs and a cell phone, Thursday’s release said.

The drugs are believed to be marijuana based on odor, said corrections spokesman Chris Gautz, but Michigan State Police are testing the substance for confirmation.

After the drone drop, Michigan State Police helped prison staff and the corrections department’s Emergency Response Team in a search of the prison grounds and surrounding area.

Drones present a “serious and constant threat” to Michigan prisons, and corrections officials are encouraging lawmakers to strengthen drone laws, Michigan Department of Corrections Director Heidi Washington said in a statement.

“We will continue to work with our partners in the law enforcement community to ensure they have what they need to successfully prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law,” Washington said.

“We will also continue our efforts to aid lawmakers in their efforts to strengthen laws regarding drones and their ability to introduce dangerous contraband into our prisons.”

Related Links: 

Pistons Owner Tom Gores Seeking OK On Purchase Of Prison Phone Contractor 

Drones, Distribution And The State Of Shipping