Two Plead Guilty In FCI McDowell Contraband Scheme

Friday, May 2, 2025,  9:05 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

CHARLESTON, W.VA.- A 32-year-old North Carolina man and a 37-year-old Florida man are facing up to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty on Tuesday to their roles in a scheme to transport contraband into Federal Correctional Institution McDowell with a Drone.

     On Tuesday, April 29, 2025, Hector Luis Gomez DeJesus, 32, of Sanford, North Carolina, and Raymond Luis Saez Aviles, 37, of Poinciana, Florida, both appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and each pleaded guilty before Senior U.S. District Court Judge David A. Faber to Aiding and Abetting the Introduction of Contraband into a Federal Prison.

According To Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston

     According to Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa G. Johnston and charging information filed with the District Court, on February 9, 2024, Correctional Officers at Federal Correctional Institution McDowell detected a drone flying over the prison facility. The drone’s flight path took it from the fence securing the prison facility to a cell in one of the housing units. During a subsequent search of the cell, Correctional Officers found a broken exterior window and located multiple cellular phones, tobacco, and marijuana within the cell.

     Upon locating the contraband, Correctional Officers traced the flight path back to the drone’s launching area, where they found and apprehended DeJesus, Aviles, and co-defendant Gamalier Rivera. Officers seized the drone, the drone’s remote controller, and various items of contraband consistent with what was found in the cell.

     During their plea allocution on Tuesday, DeJesus and Aviles each admitted that they and Rivera participated in the introduction of the contraband into FCI McDowell by using a drone to transport marijuana, tobacco, and cell phones into the prison facility. DeJesus and Aviles further admitted that they expected to be paid for their participation in the smuggling operation.

     Following entering their guilty pleas on Tuesday, Judge Faber accepted the plea and scheduled sentencing for August 11, 2025. At that time, both men face up to five years in federal prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.