How a man escaped a maximum-security prison via drone

A South Carolina inmate escaped a maximum-security prison using wire cutters that were flown in by a drone.

Jimmy Causey, convicted of kidnapping in 2004, used a cellphone smuggled into the prison to arrange the delivery of the wire cutters via drone. He then cut through four fences and left a dummy in his bed to fool the guards. He had an 18-hour head start.

Prison security expert Kevin Tamez told the AP that the drone would need to successfully deliver heavy wire cutters to the ground. They cannot be dropped like a bomb; they need to land to get the contraband off of them.

Prisons have begun installing netting to stop people from throwing contraband over high fences, but this type of method does not stop drones.

Drones have been used to deliver contraband including drugs and cellphones across the U.S. In May 2017, two men were arrested for attempting to fly knives, marijuana, and cellphones into a medium-security state prison. Officials found a crashed drone outside a maximum-security institution in 2014, which resulted in a man serving a 15-year sentence.

Tamez noted that he’s never been aware of any other U.S. prison escapes performed via drones. He also said that there is no simple way for prisons to protect against the use of small, unmanned aircraft besides hiring more guards to watch the fences.

Texas officials said that they found Causey in an Austin motel three days after the escape. When he was caught, he had $47,000 in cash, an ID card, and two guns.

Causey was sentenced to life in prison 13 years ago and had previously escaped once before in 2005. He and another inmate at the time hid in a garbage truck leaving the prison.

Police are investigating how Causey’s 8 p.m. disappearance on Tuesday went unnoticed until 2 p.m. the following day.

Via AP News