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Drug-carrying drone bound for Virginia prison lands outside nearby school, deputies say

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Posted 1:32 PM, Sep 15, 2021
and last updated 5:09 PM, Sep 15, 2021

BRUNSWICK COUNTY, Va. — A drug-carrying drone that the Brunswick County Sheriff's Office says was bound for a Virginia correctional facility missed its intended target and landed outside a school.

The drone was carrying a package that contained marijuana, tobacco, cellphones, and a USB‑C-to-lightning converter, investigators said.

Sheriff's deputies were called to Brunswick Academy in Lawrenceville at about 8:24 a.m. local time Monday when school employees reported that they found "a suspicious package" outside the school.

"During our investigation, it was determined that this package was dropped around 5:40 a.m. due to the fact that the witness saw a drone during that time land on the grounds," Brunswick County Sheriff Brian Roberts wrote in an email. "Soon thereafter, the witness saw a small dark-colored sedan come into the parking lot of the school and grab the drone."

The people in the car left the package behind, according to investigators.

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"Based on our investigation, it is obviously apparent that the package was intended to be dropped at the adjacent property of the Lawrenceville Correctional Center, which is operated by a private company named The GEO Group," Roberts said. "We have had numerous calls for service at the prison this year to include other drone sightings alleging the same criminal activity."

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Roberts said the investigation was ongoing.

This story was originally published by Wayne Covil on Scripps station WTVR in Richmond, Virginia.