Union County Man Pleads Guilty For Smuggling Scheme Using Drones

UNION COUNTY, NJ — A former inmate from Union County admitted his involvement in a scheme to use drones to smuggle contraband, including cell phones and tobacco, into Fort Dix Correctional Facility, according to the U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

Johansel Moronta, 29, of Linden pleaded guilty in a videoconference to possessing and obtaining contraband while an inmate at Fort Dix from April 2018 to March 2019.

Moronta was released from custody several months after the offense occurred and was put on federal supervised release. He has also pleaded guilty to violating the terms of his supervised release by physically assaulting his girlfriend in June of 2021 while at a gas station in Fort Lee after his release from prison.

Another former inmate, Jason Arteaga-Loayza pleaded guilty to the smuggling scheme, as well as distributing narcotics and was sentenced to 43 months in prison in September of 2021. Two other men, Adrian Goolcharran and Nicolo Denichilo, also have been charged with participating in the smuggling.

According to the documents filed and statements made in court, Arteaga-Loayza arranged for Goolcharran, with Denichilo's assistance, to fly drones over Fort Dix and drop packages of contraband into the prison. Moronta then took the contraband and sold it to inmates for profit.

These packages contained items such as cell phones, cell phone accessories, tobacco, weight loss supplements and eyeglasses among others. They planned the drone drops at night when it was dark and the drones were less likely to be seen. The drones were covered in tape to make it more difficult for prison officials to spot them.

Moronta and his conspirators used cell phones to coordinate the drone drops.

Moronta faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a maximum fine of $100,000 of the plea to possession of contraband while being a federal inmate. Moronta also agreed to a term of 14 months in prison for violating the terms of his supervised release. This term will be served consecutively to whatever term of imprisonment he receives for the contraband charge.

The sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 10, 2022.