Hector Luis Gomez DeJesus of Sanford, North Carolina, and Raymond Luis Saez Aviles of Poinciana, Florida, were sentenced to three years of probation each, including two months of home detention. Both men were found guilty of aiding and abetting the introduction of contraband into a federal prison. Arturo Joel Gallegos from Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to introduce or attempt to introduce contraband into a federal prison.
Court documents state that on February 9, 2024, correctional officers at Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell detected a drone flying over the facility. The drone traveled from the prison fence to a cell in one of the housing units. Officers later found a broken window in the cell along with several cell phones, tobacco products, and marijuana. The investigation led officers back to the drone’s launch site where they apprehended DeJesus, Aviles, and co-defendant Gamalier Rivera. Authorities seized the drone as well as its remote controller and other items matching those discovered inside the cell.
Rivera admitted his role in using the drone to transport marijuana, tobacco, and cell phones into FCI McDowell alongside DeJesus and Aviles. All three expected payment for their involvement. Rivera pleaded guilty earlier this year and was sentenced on July 7, 2025, receiving three years of federal probation with two months on home detention.
On February 1, 2024, Gallegos traveled to Welch, West Virginia with two other men from Chicago: Miguel Angel Aleman-Piceno and Francisco Alejandro Gonzalez. Law enforcement caught Aleman-Piceno and Gonzalez near FCI McDowell with a drone and camouflaged packages containing tobacco products, four cell phones with chargers and phone cards as well as marijuana next to the prison fence. That same day officers also encountered Gallegos at a local motel where they confiscated packaging materials along with more tobacco and marijuana.
Gallegos admitted he conspired with Aleman-Piceno and Gonzalez to deliver contraband onto FCI McDowell grounds by drone for compensation.
Gallegos is scheduled for sentencing on December 8, 2025; he faces up to five years in prison plus up to three years supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
Aleman-Piceno pleaded guilty on June 2 while Gonzalez entered his plea on July 7; both face charges related to attempting to introduce contraband into a federal prison by conspiracy. Sentencing dates are set for September 8 (Aleman-Piceno) and November 3 (Gonzalez).
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced these developments: "Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office."
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over all hearings while Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons prosecuted these cases.
Additional details about these cases can be found through PACER by searching case numbers 1:24-cr-127 (DeJesus/Aviles) or 1:24-cr-126 (Gallegos).
