A newly acquired drone helped the Sangamon County Sheriff's Office after being called to the BViper Mine facility in rural Williamsville.
On September 18, 2025, at approximately 11:00 p.m., the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to a possible burglary in progress at the mine in the 8100 block of East Main.
Deputies responded and deployed a Sheriff’s Office drone over the property in an attempt to locate any suspects. Deputies located an open door and heard voices from inside one of the buildings. When they entered, the deputies heard glass breaking and were able to observe a suspect fleeing through a broken window.
Maria Genovese, 30, of Springfield, was located inside the structure and taken into custody without incident. The drone pilot observed the second suspect exiting the building and hiding in a nearby tree line. The drone pilot was able to guide deputies to the tree line where 53-year-old Daniel Gregg Jr., of Springfield, was taken into custody. According to the SCSO, Gregg sustained lacerations to his arm, and a tourniquet was applied until EMS arrived on scene.
Authorities said numerous burglary tools were collected as evidence from inside the building, which had extensive damage to the electrical wiring and plumbing system. A Viper Mine employee estimated the cost to repair the damage at approximately $80,000. Genovese and Gregg were transported to the jail and booked on the offenses of Burglary, Criminal Damage to Property over $10,000, and Possession of Burglary Tools.
The drone team, an initiative started by Sheriff Paula Crouch, received its first drones in early September. Four deputies have completed advanced training and are certified to operate the drones in tactical, search, and rescue operations. Sheriff Crouch said creating this team has been a priority because it gives deputies a valuable new tool to keep the community safe.
“The drones allow our deputies to work more safely and effectively,” Sheriff Crouch said. “By embracing technology, we are giving our team the resources to protect the community and respond to situations in ways that were not possible before. Criminals need to understand that we will use every tool available to track them down and hold them accountable.”
This marks the second successful use of the Sheriff’s Office drone program. On September 12, deputies used a drone to help locate a missing person in a remote area of Sangamon County, resulting in a safe recovery.
A video clip of the drone operation from September 18 is available for public viewing. The footage shows the drone operator tracking the suspect from above, and the moment the individual surrendered to deputies. View the video by clicking here.
