Florida man arrested after allegedly using drone to try to introduce contraband at Sandstone prison

A 40-year-old Florida man was arrested last week after allegedly using a drone to try to introduce contraband to the prison in Sandstone.

According to the criminal complaint, Pine County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a drone flying over the federal correctional institute (FCI) on Sept. 5.

"We had some officers that were working in the FCI. They saw a drone and they saw it flying away from the FCI in Sandstone," chief deputy Scott Grice said on Thursday. "They watched it come in. It did not make a drop, but they saw a load that was below that drone, and they saw it go back across the river."

Grice said deputies intercepted a vehicle nearby, and located the drone in a search.

"Our officers were very close, and they ended up intercepting a vehicle coming out of an area that has been, we'll say a hotspot, and end up searching that vehicle and finding the drone and three cell phones that were wrapped in like a cellophane cushion for when they make the drop," Grice said.

The criminal complaint states that a drone, drone controller, several cell phones, and large rolls of bubble wrap were located in a backpack, along with a pay stub for Jose Gonzalez Moncada.

Gonzalez Moncada was arrested and charged with introducing contraband into a jail.