They used drones to drop drugs into Ohio prisons, now they're serving time in them

Yahoo

01-04-2025

Two of three men prosecutors say ran an elaborate scheme to smuggle drugs, cellphones and other contraband into Ohio prisons were sentenced Tuesday.
Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge David Young on Tuesday sentenced Cory Sutphin, 32, of Grove City, and Charles Gibbs, 37, of Sandusky.
Young sentenced Gibbs, currently serving a sentence on unrelated cases out of other counties, to 10 years in prison. Sutphin received four years and 11 months in prison.
Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Trent Grohe said the trio had operated an "elaborate business model" of trafficking drugs, cellphones and other contraband into prisons across the state.
Grohe said the men would call inmates or have inmates call them to place orders for what they wanted.
"Mr. Gibbs and his codefendants would traffic those drugs into prisons via drone," Grohe said. "They would use Cash App. They were very blatant in their business transactions."
Sutphin would work as the lookout or driver for Gibbs and Faulkner, who would obtain the drugs and operate the drones, Grohe said.
Faulkner, 37, pleaded guilty Monday and will be sentenced by Young at a later date.
Grohe said the trio sold cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, cellphones and other types of contraband into at least five prison facilities, including Toledo, Richland, Ross and Mansfield correctional institutions and the North Central Correctional Complex.
The Ohio Highway Patrol began an investigation in May 2021 after a drone was intercepted at the Toledo Correctional Institution, according to court records.
Before being sentenced, both Sutphin and Gibbs apologized for their actions. Gibbs called his role in the enterprise "pretty much stupid" and "reckless." Sutphin also apologized and said he knew his actions were wrong.
Sutphin, Gibbs and Faulkner all pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to engage in a pattern of corrupt activity, trafficking in drugs, trafficking in a fentanyl=related compound and illegal conveyance. Faulkner also pleaded guilty to having weapons under disability.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at [e-mail] or on Bluesky at @bethanybruner.dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio men who used drones to drop drugs into prisons sentenced to prison