"Hazardous drone operation" leads to two arrests in Boston

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

December 15, 2024 / 11:12 AM EST


BOSTON – Two people were arrested Saturday night in Boston for what police describe as a "hazardous drone operation."

Robert Duffy, 42, of Charlestown, and 32-year-old Jeremy Folcik of Bridgewater were arrested on Long Island in Boston Harbor. Both men are charged with trespassing. Additional fines or charges could be added, Boston police said.

According to Boston police, an officer spotted an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) flying close to Logan Airport. The officer was able to find the drone's location, altitude, flight history and track the operator to Long Island. Because the drones were close to the Logan Airport airspace, Boston police worked with Homeland Security, Massachusetts State Police, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Logan Airport Air Traffic Control as part of its investigation.

Three people were found inside the Long Island Health Campus, which is no longer in operation. When police arrived, they say one of the suspects ran. Duffy and Folcik were taken into custody. Officers said they found a drone inside Duffy's backpack. The third suspect is believed to have fled the area on a small boat. Duffy and Folcik are scheduled to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court in the coming days.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/boston-massachusetts-drone-arrest/

[Walleye]

1. I wonder if these guys have some sort of loose Internet organization

Where they can coordinate with each other, it could be one giant joke to them

[Oneear]

2. Book em Danno

I Do Believe that if they have not Filled out the paperwork, sent it to the FAA, and Obtained a License, they will have to Visit a Judge, and they will not enjoy it.

[Ranting Randy]

7. Are you allowed to capture it with a net or bolo?

[Traildogbob]

3. Interesting

I have a wealthy asshole up the mtn behind me that flys one over my house often. Hovering over my deck or over me when I take my dogs to the creek.
I have pumped my Remington 12 at it a few times as he hovers 20 feet inner my deck. According to LEO or county officials I ask, not a damn thing I can do, if I shot it, I would get arrested. Seems to be state wide protection
He does it just for spite, being I responded to it all.
Any suggestions????

[sdfernando]

10. Get your own drone and do the same to him? /nt

[Traildogbob]

11. It's been in my game plan!!

[druidity33]

12. not too much recourse, but...

this article seemed to outline the steps you CAN take. Maybe trespassing? Or harassment?

https://aerocorner.com/blog/legally-take-down-drone/

maybe string some fishing line between some of your trees? At least until you down the important "bird".

[Wicked Blue]

13. Would a paintball gun be classified as a weapon?

Just asking.

[Traildogbob]

15. Could be an option.

I was thinking some kind of laser beam that would shut down the electronics of it. Then accidentally run the mower over it.

[brakester]

19. Fishing line

sounds like the perfect plan!!!

[brakester]

18. Sorry

about that ashwhole!

[Farmer-Rick]

25. Mostly the drones in these mountains

Stay up in my woods. There are some really scenic views from up there.

But there was this one drone that kept flying over my barn. It might have been as close as ten feet from me. At first I waved to the controller but then it got to be really annoying. Everytime I visited my barn, there it was above my head. He never got good enough to fly into my barn but I think that's what he was trying to do.

Then one day I saw the idiot climbing over my fences and my rottweiler went after him. He was lucky I got to the dog before the dog got to him. Anyway, he had crashed his drone into a tree and it fell into the stream. He was trying to find it. I guess he thought the dog was playing? Or that he could take him on? He had to of seen the dog in his drone footage at the barn.

He should have called or come to the house and I would have put the dog in his pen. Just showing up in a farmer's fields climbing all over woven wire fencing is a stupid thing to do. Woven wire fencing is designed to stop animals and people from climbing on them. Luckily he picked that field. The ram was in the other field and he was not a pleasant fellow.

Edited to add that the guy never flew his drone over my barn again.

[Gore1FL]

27. I wonder if you could generate radio interference to jam the signal. nt

[mackdaddy]

28. I would suggest looking up the FAA Rules for flying a drone.

If they are flying below 400feet over your property and you have informed them not to, then they are basically committing a civil and criminal trespass. The local cops probably do not know or want to be bothered, but you could possibly press charges.

You could also file a complaint with the FAA directly. There are big fines if they find the drones are being flown against rules or safety regs.

Above 400 feet is considered public airspace unless over people or traffic. But if flying lower than that can be considered trespassing if warning signs or other messages are used.

Shooting one down though can get you up to 20 years of federal pen time and big fines.

[William Seger]

32. Sorry, that's not correct about altitude

Civilian drones are limited to 400 feet maximum altitude (or less near airports), and according to the FAA, it's legal to fly over private property. Some states and localities (but not all) have enacted trespass laws that forbid it, but that's still a murky area because the FAA has legal authority over all airspace except over military installations. Sometimes, those laws have been overturned by going to court.

[Polybius]

29. Don't sunbathe nude in your backyard

[Srkdqltr]

5. All fun until the police show up.

[yorkster]

6. We were nowheah neah the aihhpawt, I

sweah, Yaronna..
Duffy and Folcik - not a law firm.

[Baitball Blogger]

8. And that's how you do it.

Illegal drone flying has gone too far.

[Dennis Donovan]

9. When I first read it, I was like "hobby drones can fly all the way from Long Island to Boston???"

There's a Long Island, MA.

[Talitha]

14. "Officers said they found a drone inside Duffy's backpack."

I don't know anything about drones, but that sounds like a small toy-sized one. Or can large ones can be folded up or something?

Regarding the larger ones people have been seeing, I wonder if it's an organized effort by hobbyists who are getting a kick from all the attention.

[PSPS]

16. "the larger ones people have been seeing"

I think you meant "the larger ones people think or claim they have been seeing"

Every video I've seen has been the usual blurry/shaky bigfoot-type "proof."

[reACTIONary]

22. And they claim to be the size of a ...

... small car. Not credible.

[Talitha]

23. "think or claim"

Right you are! TBH, I haven't read all of the stories but remembered some people said they were large.

[groundloop]

17. You don't need a license to fly drones under 250 grams, just completion of an online safety course.

Those would easily fit in a backpack. There are quite a few over that threshold that could fit in a backpack also.

I have one of the under 250 gram variety. I don't have to have a license, but to be legal had to do an online safety course. I'm not allowed to use my drone for anything considered "commercial" without obtaining a license.

The larger drones are required to have a remote id system that broadcasts not only the location of the drone but also of the controller. I'm guessing a lot of these idiots flying the larger drones illegally don't have a clue how easy it is for law enforcement to find them.

[brakester]

20. Well,

The larger drones are required to have a remote id system that broadcasts not only the location of the drone but also of the controller. I'm guessing a lot of these idiots flying the larger drones illegally don't have a clue how easy it is for law enforcement to find them.

Well, get on with it, responsible governmental office!

[LisaM]

26. Like LE has the time and budget to deal with this.

Not to mention the training and expertise. Who's going to foot the bill for getting a drone enforcement unit on local police forces?

[Talitha]

24. Thanks for the info, groundloop!

[Cherokee100]

21. Let me guess

Let me guess, they must be trumpsters, trying to make the dems look even weaker.

[SunSeeker]

30. My guess too. Trumpers have no respect for others.

So they're fine with invading other people's back yards with their drones and making a nuisance of themselves. That is their idea of fun. I hope these drone bros get some jail time if their drones shut down that airfield.

[Blue_Tires]

31. This is why we can't have nice things

Fuckwit Trumpers gotta ruin everything 🙄