Drug-Smuggling Drone In OC Leads To Double Arrest: Cops

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — A Costa Mesa man and a 30-year-old inmate at the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange were charged Thursday under suspicion of using a drone to smuggle drugs into the Theo Lacy Facility, Orange County's District Attorney's Office reported Thursday.

Both Chey Cody Smart, 43, and Fountain Valley resident Megan Elizabeth Donovan, 30, face charges, including one felony count of smuggling controlled substances into a correctional facility and one felony count of conspiracy to commit a crime.

Smart has several other felony charges weighed against him by the Orange County Sheriff's Department, including possession of a controlled substance with a firearm, possession of an assault weapon, possession of ammunition by a felon, possession of a firearm by a felon, identity theft and grand theft auto.

He also faces a slew of misdemeanor charges including four counts of possession of a controlled substance, possession of controlled substance paraphernalia and one count of false representation to a police officer.

Smart was booked into the Orange County Jail Tuesday and his bail stands at $227,500, OCSD Public Information Officer Sgt. Ryan Anderson said. Smart will make his court appearance Thursday.

If found guilty of all charges, Smart faces a maximum sentence of 12 years in a state prison plus five years and 360 days in the Orange County Jail. Donovan would face a maximum sentence of five years in a state prison if convicted of all charges.

Donovan has a previous drug sales-related felony conviction, according to the OC District Attorney's Office.

Smart was arrested at his Costa Mesa home by the Custody Intelligence Unit of the OCSD under a search warrant. While authorities searched Smart's home, they found several illegal firearms, fentanyl and a controller meant to pair with the drone that landed at the Theo Lacy jail, according to OCSD.

Smart also stands accused of being in possession of methamphetamine, cocaine, Xanax, heroin and several rifles — including an assault weapon, the OC District Attorney's Office reported.

The OC District Attorney's office reported that Smart is also accused of assuming a fake identity to rent a Costa Mesa apartment and buy a 2018 BMW.

OCSD reported that Smart was identified as a possible suspect in a drug-smuggling attempt after a drone attempted to land in an outdoor recreation area of the jail. The drone carried two grams of heroin, four grams of methamphetamine, 15 Xanax pills and 15 muscle relaxers. The drone was discovered by an inmate worker in a grass area inside of the jail Tuesday, two days after the drone crashed.

According to the OC District Attorney's Office, Donovan is accused of using a phone inside the jail at the Theo Lacy Facility on Sept. 12 to help direct Smart on where to land the drone.

“Orange County has seen a resurgence in drug traffic and the jails are no exception as criminals are becoming increasingly creative in their attempts to smuggle drugs into correctional facilities,” OC District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement. “Bringing drugs into a custodial setting is not only illegal, it puts the lives of inmates at risk and jeopardizes the safety of the deputies and other staff who work in those facilities."

"Thankfully, the Sheriff’s Custody Intelligence Unit was quickly able to identify and arrest the drone operator and his inmate conspirator so that they can be held accountable.”