Hector Luis Gomez DeJesus of Sanford, North Carolina, and Raymond Luis Saez Aviles of Poinciana, Florida, were each sentenced to three years of probation with two months on home detention for their roles in aiding and abetting the introduction of contraband into a federal prison. Arturo Joel Gallegos of Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to introduce or attempt to introduce contraband into a federal prison.
Court documents show 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 found a broken window in the cell along with several cell phones, tobacco, and marijuana. They traced the drone’s flight path back to its launch site and apprehended DeJesus, Aviles, and Gamalier Rivera. The officers seized the drone and its remote controller as well as contraband similar to what was discovered inside the cell.
Rivera of Allentown, Pennsylvania previously pleaded guilty on March 27, 2025. He admitted alongside DeJesus and Aviles that they used a drone to transport marijuana, tobacco, and cell phones into FCI McDowell and expected payment for their involvement. Rivera was sentenced on July 7, 2025, also receiving three years of federal probation including two months on home detention.
In another incident on February 1, 2024, Gallegos traveled with Miguel Angel Aleman-Piceno and Francisco Alejandro Gonzalez from Chicago to Welch, West Virginia. Law enforcement later caught Aleman-Piceno and Gonzalez near the prison fence with a drone and camouflaged packages containing tobacco, four cell phones with chargers and phone cards as well as marijuana. Officers also encountered Gallegos at a local motel where they seized packaging materials along with more tobacco and marijuana.
Gallegos admitted he conspired with Aleman-Piceno and Gonzalez to fly contraband onto FCI McDowell grounds for compensation.
Gallegos is scheduled for sentencing on December 8, 2025; he faces up to five years in prison plus supervised release up to three years and a fine up to $250,000.
Aleman-Piceno pleaded guilty June 2 while Gonzalez pleaded guilty July 7; both face sentencing later this year—Aleman-Piceno on September 8 and Gonzalez on November 3—for conspiracy related charges involving attempts to introduce contraband into a federal prison.
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 hearings imposing sentences while Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons prosecuted these cases.
Additional information about these cases can be found by searching Case No. 1:24-cr-127 (DeJesus/Aviles) or Case No. 1:24-cr-126 (Gallegos) via PACERLinks.
