FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A 45-year-old Florida man was charged with conspiring to distribute fentanyl into federal prisons using a drone, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced Friday.
According to federal prosecutors, James Key III of Eustis, Florida, was charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, between Dec. 16, 2024, and Aug. 17, 2025, Key worked with inmates at the Federal Bureau of Prisons to introduce fentanyl and contraband cellphones into prison facilities in Atwater, California, as well as other prisons in Florida and South Carolina.
Prosecutors say Key and his conspirators applied fentanyl onto paper, bundled that paper, wrapped it in synthetic grass, and then delivered it by drone into the prisons.
If convicted, Key could face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
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