A California man has been arrested after allegedly using an unregistered drone to deliver fentanyl to a nearby church parking lot, according to an indictment unsealed on Wednesday.
34-year-old Christopher Patrick Laney, also referred to as "Craney", was arrested and charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and four counts of knowingly operating an unregistered aircraft in furtherance of a felony narcotics crime.
The U.S. Department of Justice further announced that Laney was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Using a drone not registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, Laney allegedly transported fentanyl from his house to a church parking lot close by. The fentanyl was distributed by its recipient to another person identified only as "J.K.," who passed away from an overdose the following day.
"Laney also possessed methamphetamine and fentanyl at his residence, and knowingly possessed multiple firearms – including an AR-15-style rifle lacking a serial number, commonly referred to as a "ghost gun," and two 9mm semiautomatic ghost-gun pistols, inside of his room," the DOJ stated.
Footage recovered from the drone demonstrates that this was not the first time Laney used it to deliver drugs, with three other incidents from December of 2022 and January of 2023 being caught on camera.
Laney faces a minimum sentence of 25 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, pending conviction.
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