A California man has been arrested for allegedly flying an unregistered drone to carry fentanyl to a neighboring church parking lot, according to an indictment released on Wednesday.
The authorities arrested Christopher Patrick Laney, 34, also known as “Craney,” and charged him with one count of fentanyl trafficking that resulted in death and four counts of intentionally operating an unregistered aircraft in furtherance of a felony narcotics offense.
The US Department of Justice has also charged Laney 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 guns in furtherance of a narcotics trafficking felony.
Laney allegedly used a drone unregistered with the FAA to transport fentanyl from his home to a nearby church parking lot. The recipient gave the fentanyl to another person named “J.K.,” who died the next day from an overdose.
“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 added.
The footage collected from the drone shows that Laney had previously used it to deliver drugs, with three prior events captured on camera between December 2022 and January 2023.
Laney faces a minimum of 25 years in federal prison and a maximum of life imprisonment, pending conviction.
