Two Massachusetts men who flew a drone “dangerously close” to Logan International Airport in Boston are facing charges, police say.
Robert Duffy, a 42-year-old individual from Boston’s Charlestown area, and Jeremy Folcik, a 32-year-old resident of Bridgewater, were arrested on Long Island late Saturday evening. The Boston Police Department conducted the arrests at an area situated on the route to the airport.
“The incident began earlier that evening, at 4:30 PM, when a Boston Police Officer specializing in real-time crime surveillance detected an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operating dangerously close to Logan International Airport,” police said in a statement. “Leveraging advanced UAS monitoring technology, the Officer identified the drone’s location, altitude, flight history, and the operators’ position on Long Island.”
“Members of the Boston Police Harbor Patrol Unit were dispatched to Long Island and located three individuals inside the decommissioned Long Island Health Campus. Upon attempting to make contact, the suspects fled on foot,” police added. “Two of the three individuals were apprehended and identified as Duffy and Folcik. During the investigation, a drone was discovered inside a backpack carried by Duffy.”
There are numerous buildings on the abandoned Long Island near Boston, Mass. (Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Police also said that because of the “serious risks posed by the drone’s proximity to Logan’s airspace,” the Department of Homeland Security, Massachusetts State Police, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Federal Communications Commission and Logan Airport Air Traffic Control were contacted to help with the response.
Long Island, located on the approach to Boston’s Logan airport, is shown here in the background on Jan. 5, 2024. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
“The Boston Police Department reminds recreational drone operators of the importance of adhering to Federal Aviation Administration safety guidelines. Operators are prohibited from flying drones over people or vehicles and must be aware of airspace restrictions,” Boston Police added. “Even small drones pose significant risks, including the potential for catastrophic damage to airplanes and helicopters. Near-collisions can cause pilots to veer off course, putting lives and property at risk.”
