Crashed Drone At Century Prison Leads To 81-Year Contraband Sentence

March 24, 2026

A Jacksonville man has been sentenced to decades in prison for using drones to smuggle drugs and other contraband into state prisons, including Century.

Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that the Office of Statewide Prosecution secured an 81-year prison sentence for 36-year-old Mario Crawford. Crawford, a career criminal with at least 49 prior convictions, orchestrated a scheme to smuggle drugs and contraband into Florida Department of Corrections facilities utilizing drones. Uthmeier made the announcement on Monday outside the Santa Rosa Correctional Institution.

The investigation was launched on September 22, 2022, when Century Correctional Institution officers located a crashed drone with a package of contraband attached. The contraband items found near the prison on Tedder Road included cell phones, SIM cards, charging cords, tobacco, cocaine, methamphetamines, and razor blades.

The crashed DJI drone and the contraband, sealed in a plastic bag, were located on the property of the then-closed Century Correctional Work Camp, just west of the main prison on Tedder Road.

Investigators collaborated with the FAA to trace the drone’s ownership back to Crawford. In March 2023, Crawford was arrested on charges of introduction or possession of contraband at state facilities, conspiracy to introduce or possess contraband at state facilities, trafficking in over 10 grams of cathinone (a stimulant drug), illegal use of a drone, and use of a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony.

Investigators identified additional drone deliveries of similar contraband items at Liberty Correctional Institution and Okaloosa Correctional Institution. These incidents also traced back to Crawford.

On March 12, 2026, a jury found Crawford guilty on all counts.

“Trafficking drugs and razor blades into our prisons puts the lives of Florida’s corrections officers at risk, and that risk is not something we are going to tolerate,” said Uthmeier. “Someone with 49 prior convictions for dangerous crimes should’ve never been allowed to walk free again, but my office is cracking down on career criminals, and he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. I thank Secretary Dixon, his team, and our Statewide Prosecutors for their commitment to justice and the safety of Floridians.”

“The criminal use of drones is a growing crisis that demands immediate action if we want to keep our officers and institutions safe. I’m thankful for Attorney General James Uthmeier and our law enforcement partners who recognize this security threat from above, and are committed to helping us thwart this dangerous criminal enterprise,” said Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon. “The impact of eliminating these threats cannot be overstated, and Florida will continue to lead when it comes to drone mitigation and contraband prevention.”

“We are proud a drug dealer is off the streets and going to prison where he belongs,” said Santa Rosa County Sheriff Bob Johnson. “His actions dropping drugs into and around prisons endangers all the amazing staff that work inside the prison. We will continue to aggressively pursue these types of drug dealers and put them in jail.”

Crawford’s criminal history includes 49 convictions, including armed burglary, grand theft, various weapons charges, fraud, and trafficking in stolen property.

Crawford will serve his 81-year sentence in the Florida Department of Corrections.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under TOP STORIES