Dailon Dabney, Drone Over Stadium, Ohio 2022

Table of Contents

Drones Over Stadiums: Cincinnati Man Charged

CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury has indicted 24-year-old Dailon Dabney of Cincinnati for operating an unregistered drone over a professional sporting event.

According to the indictment, Dabney flew his drone into Paul Brown Stadium during an NFL playoff game on January 15, 2022, and hovered over players and portions of the stadium crowd.

Dabney allegedly recorded the drone flight and posted the video to social media sites and YouTube.

The indictment alleges that Dabney’s drone was not registered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and that he did not have a remote pilot certification.

Each defendant is charged with operating an unregistered drone, which is a federal crime punishable by up to three years in prison. Dabney is also charged with violating a temporary flight restriction, punishable by up to one year in prison.

Dabney has an initial appearance scheduled at 1:30pm on October 12 in Cincinnati.

U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker said, ‘This is a growing problem that poses a direct risk to the players and the individuals in the stands.’

FBI Special Agent in Charge J. William Rivers added, ‘Flying a drone over a stadium full of fans is dangerous and illegal without the proper FAA training, licensing, and approved flight plan.’

The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.