A federal grand jury in Kansas City has indicted six individuals with conspiracy to smuggle contraband into Leavenworth Penitentiary, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Dale Gaver III, 35, Dale Gaver II, 54, Joshua Hamilton, 37, and Rex Hill, 33, all from Omaha, Nebraska, were charged with one count of conspiracy to provide and possess contraband in prison, according to the DOJ U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Kansas. Melvin Edwards, 44, and Tamarae Hollman, 36, of Riverside, California, were also charged on the same count.
A federal grand jury indicted six people with conspiring to smuggle contraband into a federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas using a drone.
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The suspects allegedly conspired to bring certain requested items into the prison between August 2020 and May 2021. A drone was allegedly used to drop packages containing prohibited items into the yard, according to the DOJ. One of these packages allegedly contained nine cellphones, tobacco and the synthetic cannabis product K2, according to The Kansas City Star. During the time frame, Gaver III was reportedly an inmate, KCTV5 reported.
The investigation included a tracking of alleged purchases made through CashApp, including a “Splash Drone 3 Plus” which was equipped with night vision cameras, The Kansas City Star reported. (RELATED: Police Make Arrest In Murder Of CashApp Founder: Report)
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle McFarlane is prosecuting the case and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is currently investigating the case, according to the DOJ.