Local News Two arrested for flying drones near Logan amid weekend of sightings Two men were allegedly operating a drone from the abandoned Long Island Health Campus, Boston police said. A plane lands at Logan International Airport, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
Two men were arrested on the Boston Harbor Islands allegedly flying drones near Boston Logan Airport Saturday night, Boston police said, amid a weekend of mysterious sightings.
Robert Duffy, of Charlestown, and Jeremy Folcik, of Bridgewater, were arrested on Long Island and are facing charges of trespassing with the potential for more fines or charges, police announced Sunday.
Police began investigating Saturday around 4:30 p.m. when their “real-time crime surveillance” detected an Unmanned Aircraft System, or UAS, near Logan. The Harbor Patrol Unit responded to Long Island, where there were three people inside the abandoned Long Island Health Campus, police said.
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The three fled on foot, and two were caught around 10:22 p.m. and identified as Duffy, 42, and Folcik, 32, police said. The pair are scheduled to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court.
Duffy allegedly had a drone in his backpack, police said.
Police said they believe the third person fled the island in a small vessel. The investigation was coordinated with Homeland Security, the Massachusetts State Police, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Logan Airport Air Traffic Control, police said.
Mysterious drones seen across Massachusetts, New England
The arrests come as residents reported mysterious apparent drone sightings in Cape Cod, the North Shore, and Central and Western Mass. this past weekend. The FBI said thousands of people across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and other East Coast states have reported the drones, but there is no indication of a threat to public or national safety.
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Authorities have not been able to provide definitive answers, BBC News reported, but said the drones are likely not from foreign countries.
Governor Maura Healey addressed the “growing number of drone sightings across Massachusetts.”
“We’re monitoring the situation closely,” Healey said on X Saturday afternoon. “Mass State Police is working together with local and federal partners, and they’re prepared to support federal authorities with jurisdiction over airspace.”
Healey reminded drone operators that they are responsible for adhering to FAA guidelines. Boston police said a small drone could catastrophically damage a helicopter or airplane, or cause a pilot to veer off course.
Molly Farrar Molly Farrar is a general assignment reporter for Boston.com, focusing on education, politics, crime, and more.
Two arrested for flying drones near Logan after sightings
