John Travis Ross, Marijuana Possession with Intent to Distribute, Mississippi 2022

A Vicksburg man has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana in a scheme that involved flying a drone over a correctional facility. John Travis Ross, 34, made the plea in a federal court in Jackson, Miss.

According to court documents, Ross flew a drone carrying approximately 60 grams of marijuana, lighters, a cell phone, and various cell phone cables over a fence onto the grounds of the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl, Miss., during the early morning hours of August 6, 2020. His actions were captured on surveillance video.

Ross has felony convictions for burglary of a building and sale of methamphetamine. His actions were part of a larger scheme to distribute contraband inside a correctional facility, a use of drone technology that is not among the various intended uses.

‘Among the various intended uses of drone technology, illicit distribution of contraband, particularly inside a correctional facility, is not one,’ said Todd Damiani, Special Agent-In-Charge, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Southern Region.

Ross pleaded guilty to a violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(D) and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 4, 2022. He faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison due to the relatively low amount of marijuana involved. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Mississippi Department of Corrections and the DOT OIG are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Kirkham is prosecuting the case.

The case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.

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