Jacksonville, Fl — A Jacksonville man will spend 81 years in prison for smuggling drugs into Florida prisons using drones.
36-year-old Mario Crawford is a career criminal with at least 49 prior convictions.
Attorney General James Uthmeier says the investigation began in 2022 when corrections officers found a drone with a package at an Escambia County facility.
“This specific case, he dropped illegal narcotics, cocaine, meth, cell phones, SIM cards, tobacco and razor blades.”, said Uthmeier.
The contraband was valued at more than $1.5 million.
Investigators collaborated with the Federal Aviation Administration to trace the drone’s ownership back to Crawford. They believe he had done this over a dozen other times.
“The criminal use of drones is a growing crisis that demands immediate action if we want to keep our officers and institutions safe. I’m thankful for Attorney General James Uthmeier and our law enforcement partners who recognize this security threat from above, and are committed to helping us thwart this dangerous criminal enterprise,” said Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon.
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