FRESNO, CA — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment Thursday against James Key III, 45, of Eustis, Florida, charging him with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between Dec. 16, 2024, and Aug. 17, 2025, Key conspired with Federal Bureau of Prisons inmates to introduce fentanyl and contraband cellphones into BOP facilities in Atwater, California, Florida, and South Carolina. Key and his conspirators applied fentanyl onto paper, bundled that paper, wrapped it in synthetic grass, and then delivered it by drone into the prisons.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey A. Spivak is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Key faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
