Drone Dispute Leads to Alleged Murder-for-Hire Plot

A neighborhood dispute over a drone escalated into an alleged murder-for-hire plan while one of the men involved was already in jail, according to a Florida arrest affidavit. David Butka, 69, is charged with solicitation to commit murder after investigators say he offered another inmate $5,000 upfront to kill his neighbor.

The new charge grew out of a longer dispute in Lake County. People reported that Butka was already in custody after pleading no contest to aggravated assault stemming from a July 22 confrontation involving the same neighbor when another inmate approached jail staff with information about the alleged plot.

The case stands out because the original disagreement was not a violent criminal case at its start. Authorities say it involved a civil dispute over Butka flying a drone above neighboring property before the conflict escalated.

From a Drone to an Assault Case

According to the probable-cause affidavit reviewed by People, the neighbor was leaving home in July when he saw a drone hovering over the property and began recording it. The neighbor alleged that Butka then threw a rock at his vehicle, leaving damage.

That confrontation led to Butka’s arrest on an aggravated assault charge. He was scheduled to be released Sept. 17, according to the reporting.

While still in custody, however, police allege Butka approached another inmate around Sept. 7 or 8 and asked him to kill the neighbor. The affidavit says Butka described the intended victim, provided an address, telephone number and morning schedule, and gave directions for locating the residence.

The Inmate Took Notes

Investigators say Butka told the inmate he had about $1.3 million in the bank and would pay $5,000 upfront. According to People, the inmate wrote down details of the conversations and later provided the handwritten information to a Lake County Sheriff’s Office official.

The affidavit also alleges that Butka supplied credit-card information that reached the inmate’s wife. Authorities say $300 was placed into the inmate’s commissary account.

Butka denied that he was arranging a killing, according to People. He said the money was intended to help the inmate obtain legal representation. That denial is part of the record and the solicitation charge has not been adjudicated.

A New Charge Before His Release

A fellow inmate reported the alleged plan to a jail supervisor on Sept. 16, one day before Butka had been scheduled for release on the earlier case. The new allegation kept the dispute from ending with the July confrontation.

Lake County authorities charged Butka with one count of solicitation to commit murder. People reported that bond on the new charge was set at $25,000.

The allegations will now be tested in court. What began as a dispute involving a small consumer drone has become a criminal case centered on a handwritten note, an alleged payment offer and information investigators say was provided from inside the jail.

Why the Paper Trail Matters

The alleged paper trail is a distinctive part of the investigation. Police say the inmate did not simply make a verbal report; he kept notes about the conversations and turned over written information. Investigators also had the alleged transfer of money to examine when deciding whether the report supported a new criminal charge.

That does not establish Butka’s guilt. It does explain why the case moved beyond one inmate’s accusation and into a solicitation-to-murder charge before Butka’s scheduled release. His explanation for the money remains part of the competing account the court will have to consider. No trial outcome has been reported in the sources used for this batch, and the new charge remains pending.

References: People - Florida Man Busted in Murder-for-Hire Plot Over Drone Dispute | WESH - Neighbors Fighting Over Drone Turns Into Murder-for-Hire Plot

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