LANCASTER MAN ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF USING DRONE TO FLY FENTANYL
LOS ANGELES – Christopher Patrick Laney, 34, a.k.a. ‘Crany,’ of Lancaster, California, has been arrested on a nine-count federal grand jury indictment charging him with using a drone to drop off fentanyl and other narcotics to buyers, one of whom died of a fatal overdose of the powerful synthetic opioid last year.
Laney is charged with one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, four counts of knowingly and willfully operating an unregistered aircraft in furtherance of a felony narcotics crime, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to the indictment, Laney used an unmanned aircraft system, commonly referred to as a ‘drone,’ which had not been registered with the Federal Aviation Administration, to transport fentanyl from his house to a nearby church parking lot on January 17, 2023. Laney distributed the fentanyl to a third party that provided it to the victim, identified in the indictment as ‘J.K.,’ who was found dead the next day after she suffered a fatal drug overdose.
The indictment alleges that Laney used the same unregistered drone to transport and distribute narcotics on at least three other occasions in December 2022 and January 2023. In February 2023, Laney also possessed methamphetamine and fentanyl at his residence, and knowingly possessed multiple firearms, including an AR-15-style rifle lacking a serial number, commonly referred to as a ‘ghost gun,’ and two 9mm semiautomatic ghost-gun pistols, inside of his room.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted of all charges, Laney would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The investigation into this matter is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the United States Customs and Border Protection’s Center for Air and Marine Drone Exploitation. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle W. Kahan of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting this case.
Laney is expected to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant: Christopher Patrick Laney
Criminal Charges: One count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, four counts of knowingly and willfully operating an unregistered aircraft in furtherance of a felony narcotics crime, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
City and State: Lancaster, California
Exact Date: January 17, 2023, and February 2023
Sentence or Outcome: If convicted of all charges, Laney would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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