A Maryland resident, Stuart Bennett, age 66, appeared in federal court following allegations that he operated a drone in restricted airspace. The charges stem from an incident involving the flight of an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) over sensitive national defense facilities.
According to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Kelly O. Hayes, Bennett is accused of violating national defense airspace regulations. The investigation began after a military official reported that a YouTube channel named “Area 82 Surveillance911” had posted drone footage showing a sensitive U.S. national defense facility.
The Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) conducted an initial review of the YouTube channel and identified videos that showed several national defense sites, including the Raven Rock Mountain Complex (RRMC). These videos appeared to have been captured by a drone.
A joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and NCIS revealed that the YouTube channel contained footage depicting Department of Defense facilities and critical infrastructure important to national security. Some video titles on the channel described locations as “classified” or “Top Secret.” A folder labeled “Classified Secret Sites” included about seven videos taken by a drone flying over U.S. government properties.
Investigators traced overlapping Internet Protocol addresses from email accounts and other registration information linked to Bennett through the United States Postal Service records. This led authorities to focus on Bennett as the suspected owner of the YouTube channel.
The FBI executed a search warrant at Bennett’s home and seized several items: a Potensic Atom drone, four micro-SD cards, and a Hewlett-Packard Z240 Tower Workstation. Agents also took his computer monitor, which was logged into the Area82 Surveillance911 YouTube account at the time of seizure. Review of one micro-SD card found at his residence uncovered video evidence showing a drone flight over RRMC.
U.S. Attorney Hayes acknowledged both FBI and NCIS for their efforts in this case, as well as support from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency.
For further details about resources and priorities of the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
