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Former Prison Inmate Charged With Conspiracy for Using a Drone To Smuggle Contraband Into Fort Dix
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On October 21, 2020, the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey issued a criminal complaint charging Johansel Moronta with conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and possessing, obtaining, and smuggling contraband into the Fort Dix Federal Correctional Institute. According to the criminal complaint, in October 2018, while Moronta was an inmate at Fort Dix, he allegedly coordinated the delivery of contraband, such as tobacco and cell phone equipment, into the facility via an unmanned aircraft system (or drone). He allegedly retrieved the delivered contraband by surreptitiously obtaining access to the facility’s rooftop.
Moronta was served a summons to appear in U.S. District Court to answer the filed charges. Three other men—Adrian Goolcharran, Nicolo Denichilo, and Jason Arteaga-Loayza—were also charged with participating in the scheme.
DOT-OIG is conducting this investigation with the Department of Justice OIG and Air Force Office of Special Investigations.
Note: Indictments, informations, and complaints are only accusations by the Government. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.