By Corrections1 Staff
RIDGELAND, S.C. — A drone operator was stopped from flying contraband into the Ridgeland Correctional facility.
At approximately 2 a.m. on July 25, a Jasper County Deputy observed the suspect inside a vehicle parked on the shoulder of Interstate 95 next to the prison. The occupant was flying a drone towards the prison.
When the deputy and a Ridgeland Police Department officer pulled up to the vehicle and activated their lights, the car fled at speeds of over 100 mph. Before crashing into the woods, the suspect cut in front of traffic exiting the interstate. Once the officers reached the crash site, the suspect had already fled and was unable to be located.
During a search of the vehicle, officers located approximately the following contraband valued at more than $300,000 inside the prison system.
- 5.7 pounds of marijuana
- 7 1-gallon individual bags of tobacco
- 4 large baggies of individual cigarettes
- 30 packages of Cigarillo brand cigars
- 5 cellular telephones
- 2 large bags of Cannabis flower
- 10 drone batteries
- 1 drone
- 2 Cash App cards