A Florida man accused of shooting down a law enforcement drone in July was indicted Wednesday on charges of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and destruction of aircraft.
Wendell Doyle Goney, 51, was formally charged after he allegedly admitted to shooting a Lake County Sheriff’s Office drone out of the sky with a .22 caliber rifle, according to a news release from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Goney told deputies that drones had been "harassing" him, the release stated.
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On July 11, 2021, deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary on a 10-acre property in Mount Dora, about 30 miles northwest of Orlando.
The deputies deployed a drone to assist with an outdoor search, only to have it destroyed by gunfire that came from a nearby residence, according to the release.
After deputies confronted Goney, he allegedly admitted to shooting down the drone, while adding that he was not legally allowed to possess a gun as a convicted felon.
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Goney has 29 prior felony convictions in the state, the release stated.
He faces up to 30 years in federal prison if convicted on both counts.
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The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.