According to federal prosecutors, an individual was apprehended last weekend for using a drone to fly and deliver cell phones into the United States Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, commonly referred to as the Fed Med.
Per court records, Ruben Simental, 27, was apprehended on Saturday by the Springfield Police Department for trespassing in a park after hours. Police reportedly found out that Simental had stationed himself in the park late at night to operate his drone and drop cell phones onto the adjacent grounds of the federal prison.
In a press release from 2018, the then-Assistant Attorney General, Beth Williams, referred to cell phones in prisons as “a significant and increasing security risk to correctional officers, law enforcement personnel, and the public in general,” owing to the possibility of prisoners using cell phones to plan and execute criminal operations both within and beyond prison walls.
As of Wednesday, Simental hasn’t been charged with any criminal offenses in Missouri regarding his drone activity. However, federal prosecutors are attempting to cancel his bond in an Oklahoma case where he is accused of possessing firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. According to court papers, one of the conditions for Simental’s release was that he couldn’t leave Oklahoma.
Simental was in custody at the Greene County Jail and had a brief court appearance at the federal courthouse in Springfield (Yahoo).
Recent Federal Prison-Related Cases:
Federal Grand Jury Indictment- USA vs Lo et al.
Federal Criminal Complaint- USA vs Henderson
Federal Grand Jury Indictment- USA vs Turner
Prison Counter-UAS Resources and Information:
Agent-Based Modeling for Low-cost Counter-UAS Protocol in Prisons
