Quinzell Robinson
Introduction
Quinzell Robinson, 47, of Sumter, South Carolina, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for flying a drone onto the yard of a South Carolina prison . United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Robinson for knowingly and willfully operating an unregistered aircraft under Federal Aviation Administration laws, closing a case built on the drone’s own flight data, aerial photographs found on his phone, and his text messages with an inmate about drone deliveries . The sentence was announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina on November 12, 2026 .
Background Information
On March 14, 2025, at around 5 a.m., law enforcement responded to reports of a drone flying near Lieber Correctional Facility in Ridgeville. Investigators located Robinson leaving the woods near the facility with a drone and a bag . Surveillance footage showed that shortly after 5 a.m., a package was dropped onto the prison grounds and retrieved by inmates .
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Convicted and sentenced to federal prison.
Investigators obtained authorization to search the electronic devices seized from Robinson, including the drone itself. Its flight data showed it had traveled to the exact location where prison surveillance captured inmates recovering a package . A forensic analysis of his cell phone turned up aerial photographs of Lieber Correctional Facility, numerous web searches about purchasing drones, and GPS data from the March 14, 2025 launch point. Investigators also found video recordings on the device — including one that appeared to show a flight over a correctional facility — and text messages between Robinson and an inmate at the prison about using drones to deliver contraband and about the anti-drone measures prisons use .
“Correctional facilities cannot safely operate when individuals on the outside coordinate with inmates to deliver contraband over prison fences using drones,” said United States Attorney Bryan Stirling. “This case sends a clear message that those who attempt to use technology to undermine prison security will be investigated, prosecuted, and held accountable for their actions” . South Carolina Department of Corrections Director Joel Anderson said the agency is “under nightly attacks by drones dropping deadly drugs and other contraband onto our prison yards” and thanked the courts and law enforcement partners for holding Robinson accountable .
Public Reaction and Consequences
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, and the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorney Winston Holliday prosecuting . The consequence for Robinson is a federal felony conviction and a year-plus sentence for the unregistered flight — one prosecution in what the state’s corrections director described as a nightly drone assault on South Carolina’s prisons .
Current Status
Robinson, 47, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison by Judge Richard M. Gergel for knowingly and willfully operating an unregistered aircraft . The available reporting documents no additional charges connected to the March 2025 flight; the announcement closes the case as prosecuted in the District of South Carolina .
Impact on Their Career/Life
The available reporting documents no occupation or public role for Robinson beyond the drone operation itself, which the evidence showed was planned in detail — aerial reconnaissance photos of the prison, purchase research, launch-site GPS data, and an inmate correspondent on the inside . A federal conviction for operating an unregistered aircraft now stands against him, along with the year in federal prison, as the documented price of a single 5 a.m. drone run over a prison fence .
Sources
- “Sumter Man Sentenced to Federal Prison After Flying Drone Over South Carolina Prison” — U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of South Carolina (DOJ), November 2026: source