MCDOWELL COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Hector Luis Gomez DeJesus, 32, of North Carolina, and Raymond Luis Saez Aviles, 37, of Florida, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the introduction of contraband into a federal prison, officials announced today.
On February 9, 2024, correctional officers at FCI McDowell spotted a drone flying over the prison and traced it to a housing unit cell, where they found a broken window and contraband including cell phones, tobacco, and marijuana.
Officers followed the drone’s flight path to its launch site, where they apprehended DeJesus, Aviles, and a third man, Gamalier Rivera. The drone, its remote, and additional contraband matching items found in the prison were seized.
DeJesus and Aviles admitted they helped fly the drone to smuggle items into the prison and expected to be paid for their role.
Both men face up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine when sentenced on August 11, 2025.
Rivera previously pleaded guilty in March and will be sentenced on July 7, 2025.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian D. Parsons and was investigated by the FBI, BOP, and McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.
