They couldn’t fly the coop.
Two Texas women went to great lengths to sneak contraband into a prison — disguising drugs and phones inside a fake crow that they tried to fly by drone over the federal facility.
Melanie Jean Worthington, 38, and Kassy Marie Cole, 41, were purportedly paid a staggering $40,000 to transport phones, meth, marijuana and tobacco inside a federal prison in Grant Parish, Louisiana.
The runners were arrested when their bizarre plan was busted by authorities early Monday, according to the Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office.
It’s unclear if the goods was set to be dropped off in one fell swoop at the prison or multiple fly-bys.
The prison potluck was tucked inside decoy crows, which were released by a drone the women flew over the prison, police said.
The package appeared to make up a bulk of the faux fowl’s torso and a portion of the wing. The bogus bird was even fitted with a full head, beak, eyes and tail-feathers, largely made using tape and plastic bags, an image shared by the sheriff’s office showed.
Their arrests marked the ninth and 10th busts for trying to sneak contraband into the prison this year — an average of one arrest a week.
Many of the alleged couriers tried to smuggle similar drug paraphernalia, including oxycodone and Psilocybin mushrooms. One visitor even tried to get 12 gallons of vodka inside the prison’s walls, KPLC 7 reported.
Worthington was charged with possession of methamphetamine and marijuana, both with the intent to distribute, and taking contraband into a penal institution.
Cole, who already had an outstanding warrant, was charged with possession of methamphetamine and synthetic marijuana and, also with intent to distribute, and taking contraband to a penal institution.
Upwards of 50 people were nabbed for trying to smuggle various banned items into the Grant Parish prison last year, KALB 5 reported.