California cops cuff suspect in deadly drone-assisted drug deal
According to the Central District of California DA’s office, on January 17, 2023, Christopher Patrick Laney, 34, also known as "Crany," allegedly used an unregistered DJI FPV drone to transport a packet of fentanyl from his home to a third party who was waiting in a nearby church parking lot. It was then sold to a local woman, identified as JK, who was found dead the next day from an overdose.
Police listed a total of four drone trips allegedly carried out by Laney, and when they raided his home, they found approximately 6.61 grams of methamphetamine and around 16.15 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, according to the court document [PDF]. The DEA estimates around two milligrams of fentanyl is a lethal dose.
During the raid, police also recovered three firearms, a .223 caliber AR-15 semiautomatic rifle, and two 9mm Polymer 80 pistols, the file showed. All three were so-called ghost guns, meaning that they were assembled from unmarked and unregistered parts, rendering them untraceable to law enforcement.
