6 charged for alleged contraband smuggling scheme involving drone at Leavenworth Penitentiary

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - A federal grand jury has indicted six people with conspiring to smuggle contraband into a federal prison in Kansas between August of 2020 and May of 2021.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas announced Thursday that 35-year-old Dale Gaver III, 54-year-old Dale Gaver II, 37-year-old Joshua Hamilton, and 33-year-old Rex Hill of Omaha, Nebraska, have been charged with one count of conspiracy to provide and possess contraband in prison.

Melvin Edwards, 44, and Tamarae Hollman, 36, of Riverside, California, have been charged with one count of conspiracy to provide and possess contraband in prison.

The defendants are accused of working together to use a drone to drop contraband, including cell phones, SIM cards, marijuana, tobacco and the synthetic cannabinoid K2 into the prison yard.

Hill is also charged with one count of attempting to provide prison contraband.

Gaver III, who was an inmate at Leavenworth Penitentiary during the alleged crimes, is also charged with one count of attempted possession of prison contraband and one count of possession of prison contraband.

A spokesperson with the Federal Bureau of Prisons sent the following statement to KCTV5 News:

“The BOP, to include the United States Penitentiary (USP) Leavenworth is committed to ensuring the safety and security of all inmates, staff, and the public, which includes addressing the security threats that Unmanned Aerial Systems (i.e., UASs or “drones”) pose to our facilities. The BOP addresses this problem using a multi-faceted approach. We continue to proactively research, rigorously evaluate, and deploy proven security technologies to detect, interdict, and mitigate dangerous contraband, including UASs.
The BOP has conducted testing and evaluation of select Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS) technologies. BOP deploys CUAS technologies based on testing results to further protect the individuals entrusted in our custody as well as maintain the safety of correctional staff and the community. Due to security concerns, we will not discuss BOP’s use of CUAS technology in any greater detail.
In addition to the preventative measures outlined above, the BOP dedicates resources to investigating cases where drones are used to introduce dangerous and illegal contraband into prisons. The BOP works in partnership with outside law enforcement agencies to prosecute and convict individuals responsible for drone introductions.”

A spokesperson with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sent the following statement:

The FAA also shared the following two links where you can learn more:

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