Over the past year, Greene and Morgan County deputies have made several arrests involving drones and contraband that may be headed to area prisons.
Three metro Atlanta men were arrested on Aug. 15 after a traffic stop in Greene County when a deputy found drones with anti-collision lights covered during a search of a vehicle.
Mahmoud Ahmad, 28, of Stone Mountain, Darius Jamal Britt, 28, of Stone Mountain, and Derrell Deshon Cooper, of Atlanta, face charges of items prohibited for possession by inmates and unlawful use of unmanned aircraft to accomplish violations. Britt is also charged with giving a false name to a police officer.
Britt had been arrested in Morgan County on March 13 on drug charges when deputies found 3.2 pounds of marijuana, several iPhones, and tobacco in the car he was driving. Deputies believed the items were bound for an area prison.
According to the Aug. 15 incident report, Lt. Patrick Paquette stopped a Nissan Altima on I-20 that had a partially obscured license plate decal.
Paquette reported that he smelled “the overwhelming odor of marijuana” when he approached the passenger side of the vehicle.
Cooper told Paquette the car belonged to his girlfriend and said he didn’t have any marijuana or guns in the vehicle.
When Paquette asked him where he was headed, Cooper said he didn’t know, but the destination was on his GPS. When Paquette checked the record on Cooper’s license, he learned that the Atlanta Police Department wanted Cooper.
Cooper was then asked to stand 20 steps in front of his vehicle.
Paquette then asked Britt where the trio was headed, and he said to Cooper’s girlfriend’s house.
According to the report, Britt hesitated before telling Deondre his name. He was then detained in handcuffs. Ahmad was asked about the destination and said he was just riding with a friend. Deputy Leo Sierra arrived and told Paquette the GPS indicated the men were going to Sparta.
During a search of the vehicle, Paquette found the two drones and knew that the lights are commonly covered in an effort to thwart law enforcement and prison officials when they are used to drop contraband into prisons.
The drones had also been modified by placing plastic and wire pieces on the bottom to hold and drop contraband when directed by the pilot.
Paquette also found a duffle bag containing wings for the drones, controllers, and many extra batteries. He also found a couple of grams of marijuana between the front seat and the door.
Paquette said he later determined the GPS coordinates were in the area of Hancock State Prison.
PREVIOUS CASES
March 13: Darius Jamal Britt was arrested after a traffic stop for speeding when deputies found a black garbage bag containing 3.2 pounds of marijuana separated into 17 separate plastic bags. Deputies believed the bags were bound for a prison, and the Department of Corrections was notified.
Feb. 25: Dontarrious Lamar Issac, 27, of Marietta, and Ashavion Fernando Turner, 21, of Snellville, were arrested in Greene County following a traffic stop and charged with providing items prohibited to inmates.
Turner was also charged with furnishing weapons, intoxicants, and drugs to inmates.
During the course of the traffic stop, Sgt. Jordan Knowles found a large DJI drone in the back seat, with an electronic drop kit on the underside and the controller on the floorboard of the front passenger seat.
Dec. 11, 2023: Alana Ann Harrison, 22, of Smyrna, and Danny Ivan Solano, 32, of Canton, were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute following a traffic stop by Deputy Leo Sierra. Sierra noticed a black drone with black tape covering the GPS lights on the back seat when he approached the vehicle. Attached to the underside of the drone appeared to be a mechanism for holding and carrying heavy items. The drone had no camera attachments.
According to the report, Sierra located nine cell phones with four charging cords, two outlet plugs, and three calling cards.
Sierra also found a pound of a green leafy substance divided into 16 small bundles, each weighing approximately 32 grams, a set of JB Weld glue tubes, 10 small packs of Raw rolling papers, and one box of Bugler rolling papers.
Deputies seized Harrison’s cell phone as well as Solano’s, and both were turned over to the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Nov. 28, 2023:
Dondriko Travis Hoke, 23, of Decatur, and Larry Lee Smith, 30, of Atlanta, were arrested following a traffic stop in Greene County and charged with trafficking methamphetamine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and obstruction. Dwayne Patrick Royal, 51, of Buford, fled the traffic stop.
During a conversation with Deputy Matthew Cowdrey, Royal had mentioned three Georgia cities close to prisons before he fled (Wrightsville: Johnson State Prison, Sandersville: Washington State Prison, and Milledgeville: Baldwin State Prison).
A search of the vehicle revealed bundles inside, each with a small cord attached to a metal ring at the end for easy drop release from a drone.
The search of the vehicle’s trunk yielded ‘DJI’ Inspire 2 Model T650A drones with tape over the flight lights, five cell phones, one pound of marijuana, seven clear plastic, vacuum-sealed bags containing tobacco and rolling papers, four pounds of marijuana, and one kilogram of methamphetamine.