Florida Man Sent to Prison for Shooting Down a Drone

Wendell Goney, a Florida man, received a four-year prison sentence for shooting down a drone. Details will be discussed shortly.

Drones, or UAVs, now commonly serve deliveries, surveys, and emergency services. They impact daily life significantly. Despite all of its advantages, there are still some worries about drones, especially about security and privacy. 

Privacy concerns rise with increasing drone use in unwanted or illegal areas. Drones hovering near properties cause noise disturbances, prompting worry among residents. As these issues escalate, people are eager to find effective solutions to protect their privacy from intrusive drone activities.

So it is common for people to want to shoot it down or destroy it in any way. Taking hasty action on privacy issues can lead to long-lasting consequences. Precision is crucial.

Why Did Wendell Goney Shoot Down the Drone?

In Mount Dora, Florida, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responds promptly to reports of a potential burglary at a commercial property. An ATF agent filed a criminal complaint, initiating this rapid action. This underscores the collaboration between local law enforcement and federal agencies. The engagement reflects the collective commitment to address security concerns in the community.

The subsequent events unfold as officers utilize a drone to assess the situation. This led to an unexpected confrontation with a resident. Upon arrival, officers found unsecured doors and damaged gates at the facility.

The officers used a drone to survey the 10-acre property, suspecting potential intruders. While in flight, they heard two shots, witnessing the drone slowly spinning downward and emitting smoke. Then it crashed onto the metal roof of an outbuilding, became suspended on a rain gutter, and caught fire.

Officers started searching and investigating for the source of the gunshots and came across Wendell Goney, a nearby resident. Goney denied it and told the officers he didn’t shoot the drone. But after realizing it had cameras, he acknowledged shooting it. 

Goney informed the officers that people flying drones over his land had “harassed” him. This marked his first instance of shooting at a drone, as he bought a .22-caliber rifle to prevent drone disturbances without realizing the specific drone belonged to law enforcement. All this happened in July 2021.

Wendell Goney’s Arrest for Florida Man Drone Shooting

When questioned by deputies, Goney admitted his prohibition from possessing a firearm under federal law due to his criminal record. When they apprehended Goney, he informed them exactly where to look for the rifle and permitted them to search his home.

According to the criminal complaint, Goney “has about 23 prior felony convictions to his name.” He has received repeated sentences totaling more than a year in state jail, including those from 1997, 2007, 2009, and 2013.” 

He was charged with several counts of grand theft, including the 1995 theft of a rifle, forgery, and burglary. His most recent conviction was in 2013, when he was found guilty of simple battery, aggravated assault of a law enforcement officer, and cocaine possession, and was given a sentence of two years and eight months in jail.

In October 2023, Goney pleaded guilty. The U.S. District Court Judge Gregory Presnell sentenced him to four years in prison. He will serve three years of supervised release, during which he must attend drug and mental health treatment programs. In addition, he would have to replace the drone and pay the Lake County Sheriff’s Office about $29,000 in reparations.

Was The Florida Man Drone Shooting Sentence Fair?

Goney was initially charged with both possessing a firearm and destroying law enforcement property, but the prosecution dropped the latter charge in exchange for Goney’s plea. 

Prosecutors requested “a sentence at the low end of the applicable sentencing guidelines—77 months,” noting in their sentencing memo that federal standards “call for a recommended sentencing range of between 77–96 months.” 

The document stated that “such a sentence would be slightly more than twice the length of the longest of the prison sentences the defendant has served to date.”

This means since Goney’s longest sentence was two years and eight months—for assaults on other people, including a police officer, his sentence for shooting down the drone would be longer.  

Although some people might think it is not right for a convicted felon to not own a gun. Even though at the time of his arrest Goney had not had a problem with the law for years. Plus the only aggressive behavior he had done was to attack a drone that he believed to be “harassing” him.

Does the Law Permit Convicted Felons to Own a Gun?

The right to bear weapons is safeguarded under the Second Amendment of the US Constitution. States, however, have the authority to restrict this freedom under specific conditions. 

In Pennsylvania, for example, a person convicted of any felonious offense is practically prohibited from owning a gun, meaning it is illegal for a convicted felon to purchase or possess a firearm.

Although there are some legal exceptions to the general prohibition on felons owning firearms. A convicted criminal may be allowed to own a firearm under federal law in the following situations:

• • If the conviction has been pardoned

• • If the conviction has been expunged or removed from the record

• • If the state where the felony was committed restores a felon’s civil rights

According to the initial criminal complaint, Goney is a felon and “has never had his civil rights restored by executive clemency following these felony convictions”. Therefore, Goney can only lawfully obtain his Second Amendment right to bear arms if he receives a pardon from the governor.

Conclusion 

You should know that by United States Code Title 18 Section 32, which classifies the destruction of aircraft or aircraft infrastructure as a felony, shooting down a drone is considered a federal offense, according to the FAA’s study on unmanned aircraft systems. 

It’s important to think of other options before shooting down a drone, as violators may face fines and jail for up to 20 years.