An extensive investigation that began in November 2022 targeting an alleged drone-based contraband scheme within Georgia’s prisons has resulted in the arrest of 150 individuals, including eight corrections officers. The investigation, dubbed “Operation Skyhawk,” uncovered that drones were being used to transport cellphones, drugs, and weapons into Georgia Department of Corrections facilities.
Republican Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s office issued a press release on Thursday stating that a collaboration between the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Safe Streets Gang Task Force resulted in search and arrest warrants being executed at two sites in the Metro Atlanta area.
The recent raids involved a drone repair shop in Gwinnett County, where more than 50 drones were seized, and two individuals were arrested. The eight Georgia Department of Corrections employees who were charged were “immediately terminated.”
The office of the Governor reported that the vast criminal network had been “successfully dismantled,” writing,
This operation successfully dismantled an elaborate criminal network spanning multiple states, encompassing civilians, inmates, and staff engaged in smuggling contraband into GDC facilities.
In a statement, Governor Kemp said,
Georgia will not tolerate those who put our communities at risk by trafficking drugs, weapons, and contraband both in and out of our correctional facilities. I want to thank [Georgia Department of Corrections} Commissioner [Tyrone] Oliver, the hardworking men and women of the GDC, and all law enforcement who worked to shut these operations down and help keep both Georgians and our correctional facilities safe.
Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver said,
The success of ‘Operation Skyhawk’ should be a reminder to anyone — inside or outside our prisons — that we have zero tolerance and will take swift action against those who threaten the safe operations of our facilities and the safety of the public.
The charges stemming from the investigation include over 1,000 counts related to contraband smuggling, drug trafficking, and possession of firearms by felons, with potential additional charges under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and gang-related offenses. This could potentially lead to the largest gang-related RICO case in Georgia’s history, state officials said.
Gregg Phillips, a special agent with the Georgia Department of Corrections, stated around 170 prison drops were intercepted during the probe. The success of “Operation Skyhawk” was attributed to the collaboration with hundreds of local law enforcement partners who played a crucial role in making traffic stops, responding to throwovers, and intercepting contraband drops via drones at GDC facilities.
It is believed that several other states are affected by the same criminal enterprise, according to the governor’s office.
Commissioner Oliver said,
Our reach is far and wide, not just within the walls of our facilities, and I stand by my words from over a year ago, that this activity will not be tolerated. I am immensely proud of our Agents for their commitment to seeing that these individuals are brought to justice.
Items seized during the operation included 87 drones, 273 contraband cellphones, 22 weapons, as well as significant quantities of tobacco, marijuana, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and cocaine. The street value for the seized items is an estimated $7 million.
