Jerrell Antonio Roberts, currently serving time as a federal inmate, along with Antoinette Tyeisha Ricks and Tyree O’Bryant Russell, residents of Savannah, Georgia, have been sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in a methamphetamine smuggling operation. This attempt to conspire to introduce illicit substances into a South Carolina federal prison has led to multi-year sentences for the involved parties. Russell received a two-year sentence, Ricks over three years, while Roberts, already incarcerated, received an additional sentence of more than nine years.
The court heard evidence that on November 6, 2022, a drone crashed inside the federal prison in South Carolina where Roberts was held. The unmanned drone, equipped with a skyhook, was found along with a package wrapped in electronics chargers containing approximately 38 grams of methamphetamine. Investigations identified that Roberts, Ricks, and Russell collaborated to smuggle the methamphetamine for distributing within the prison.
U.S. Attorney Bryan P. Stirling said, “Crime doesn’t stop when defendants enter the prison gates. Contraband smuggling schemes like this are not only illegal but dangerous, and the sentences handed down today reflect the seriousness of these crimes.”
United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III presided over the sentencing. Russell was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, Ricks to 39 months, and Roberts to 110 months. Roberts's sentence will run consecutively to his existing term for federal charges in Georgia. After serving their sentences, each will undergo three years of court-ordered supervision, as parole is not an option in the federal system.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation were responsible for the investigation, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuting the case.
