Oklahoma Agents Apprehend Key Member of Prison Contraband Ring

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) – Agents with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections’ Office of the Inspector General have arrested an Oklahoma City woman suspected of involvement in a statewide, warehouse-scale contraband ring tied to a known prison Security Threat Group.

32-year-old Alicia Anderson was arrested on Tuesday following an 18-month-long investigation. She is currently in the Hughes County Jail facing three charges of bringing contraband into a jail, and one count of conspiracy.

Anderson has reportedly participated in dozens of drone-assisted contraband drops across the state over the past 18 months. She is charged with accepting money to drive an individual to areas near certain prisons from which they would pilot contraband-laden drones, dropping the packages into areas accessible by inmates. She is also suspected of piloting drones for the purposes of dropping contraband, as well as to throwing contraband over fences.

“The evidence we have gathered in previous seizures continues to produce positive results, and our agents continue to pour a lot of work into this case. I expect additional arrests to be coming soon in this case, including the arrest of the drone pilot,” said Inspector General Ted Woodhead. “The support we have received from Director Harpe is already enhancing our efforts to prosecute these individuals.”

In July, intelligence led to a storage unit in northwest Oklahoma City. There, agents discovered a warehouse-scale contraband smuggling operation. The seizure yielded a large cache of marijuana, methamphetamine, cannabis products, tobacco, cell phones, drones, and other contraband items intended to be smuggled into Oklahoma prisons. Counterfeit currency totaling $8,500 was also seized and turned over the U.S. Secret Service. Evidence gathered from the storage unit led investigators to Anderson.

“Combatting the introduction of contraband into state prisons is a never-ending process, which becomes tougher as criminals become more technologically proficient,” said ODOC Public Information Manager Josh Ward. “But this agency remains committed to investing the resources necessary to protect inmates and staff from the dangers these items present in prisons.”