Two men who were arrested in a suspected attempt to use a drone to deliver contraband to the Fulton County Jail are now getting to see the jail up close, as they are now being held there without bond.
Richard Redding of Atlanta and Jeffrey Jenkins of Winston, Ga., have been arrested in connection with a suspected attempt to deliver contraband, according to a news release from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office.
Fulton County Sheriff’s investigators received a tip on the night of April 1 about a drone flying near the jail. The investigators found a vehicle parked at a dead-end residential street that appeared out of place, the release said. A search warrant for the vehicle led to the discovery of a drone with a controller and case, a large quantity of marijuana, multiple pills, including suspected oxycodone, 48 packs of cigarettes, more than 100 loose cigarettes, paracord, plastic packaging, and nine cellphones.
Redding and Jenkins were arrested and charged with the following:
- Conspiracy to commit a felony, one count
- Trafficking in illegal drugs, one count
- Criminal attempt to commit a felony, one count
- Possession of tools for commission of a crime, two counts
- Possession of controlled substance in schedule III, IV or V, one count
- VGCSA – Possession of controlled substance in schedule I or II with intent to distribute, two counts
- Possession of prohibited items by inmate or providing prohibited items to inmate, one count
- Purchase, possession, manufacture, distribution, or sale of marijuana, one count
Redding was also charged with one count of driving a motor vehicle with suspended, canceled, or revoked registration.
A similar incident happened last weekend when a package containing McDonald’s chicken sandwiches and drugs suspected to be oxycodone was found tangled in the concertina wire around the jail’s perimeter. The release said the packaging from that incident was similar to, if not the same, as the packaging from the latest incident, leading investigators to believe the two may be related.
“We are combating technology with technology alongside good old-fashioned detective work,” said Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat.
Anyone who has information about a crime, including any attempts to smuggle contraband into the Fulton County Jail, can submit a tip through the Crime Stoppers platform.
If the tip leads to an arrest, the tipster may be eligible for up to $5,000 as a reward. A tip can be submitted by calling 404-577-TIPS(8477), texting CSGA to 738477, downloading the P3 Tips mobile app, or submitting a tip through the website at www.crimestoppersatlanta.org.
