Drug Dealer Who Used Drone To Deliver Fatal Fentanyl Dose Pleads Guilty In LA Federal Court

LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles County man on Monday pleaded guilty to using a drone to deliver drugs, including a dose of fentanyl that would lead to a woman's fatal overdose, federal prosecutors.

Christopher "Crany" Laney, 36, of Lancaster pled guilty to distribution of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

In January 2023, Laney arranged via text message to sell $80 worth of fentanyl to a person identified as S.G. Laney used a drone to deliver the drugs to him in a nearby church parking lot, according to Laney's plea agreement, which was obtained by Patch.

S.G. then further distributed the drugs to a woman identified only as J.K., who died of a subsequent overdose at her Lancaster home, prosecutors said.

"As captured on video footage taken by the drone, Laney used the same unregistered drone to transport and distribute narcotics on at least three other occasions in December 2022 and January 2023," the U.S. Attorney's Office said at the time of his 2024 indictment.

Laney faces a possible total sentence of between five and 60 years in federal prison, according to prosecutors. As part of his plea deal, he agreed not to advocate for a prison sentence of less than 168 months.

He will also be required to forfeit money and items seized by authorities as part of their investigation, according to the plea agreement. That includes an AR-15-style rifle ghost gun, two 9mm semiautomatic ghost-gun pistols, the DJI FPV drone, $1,063 in cash, two digital scales, an iPhone and an Acatel 5004R cellphone.

Laney was initially charged with distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, four counts of knowingly and willfully operating an unregistered aircraft in furtherance of a felony narcotics crime, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

He's due back in court for sentencing Feb. 9.