By Brendan KirbyPublished: Jun. 13, 2023 at 7:01 AM GMT+8|Updated: Jun. 16, 2023 at 8:08 AM GMT+8
A plea of not guilty was entered by Trenton Lisak, a Mobile resident, on June 15, 2023, after being charged with interfering with emergency communications and possessing drugs.
He is accused by the prosecution of utilizing costly and highly sophisticated equipment from an apartment at the Tower on Ryan Park. Mobile County 911 officials report that this action effectively crippled communications in downtown Mobile on June 6 and led to disturbances throughout the rest of the week.
July 19th has been designated by the judge as the date for Lisak’s preliminary hearing.
ORIGINAL STORY:
According to law enforcement authorities, costly and highly sophisticated black market jamming device caused interference in police and emergency services transmissions for a significant period of time last week.
The police arrested Trenton Edward Lisak on Saturday for interfering with public safety communication, a Class C felony that can lead to imprisonment for a period of one to ten years. He has also been charged with drug possession. According to prosecutors, the FBI is conducting an investigation into the matter.
Monday witnessed Mobile County District Attorney Keith Blackwood describing the charge as peculiar. He underlined its significant nature, emphasizing the indispensable requirement for law enforcement and first responders to possess the means to communicate effectively, not only within downtown areas but also in any given place.
How peculiar!
Blackwood acknowledged that this was a first-time occurrence for him. He couldn’t recall any other case where such an event had taken place, particularly not on this scale. The considerable amount of equipment involved made it a highly significant incident.
Lisak’s arrest record comprises charges related to theft, breaking into cars, possession of a forged instrument, and acts of criminal mischief.
Mobile County District Judge Jennifer Wright has established a bail amount of $15,000, which aligns with the highest recommended bail for this particular offense. Furthermore, she has mandated that 10 percent of the bail be paid in cash. Additionally, Judge Wright has imposed an extra $5,000 bail specifically for the drug charge.
Additionally, the judge implemented a curfew that would be in effect from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and issued a directive for Lisak, aged 31, to maintain a distance from the Tower at Ryan Park located downtown. This residential complex is where the equipment, which disrupted the communication systems of all 57 law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical agencies within the Mobile County Communications District, was discovered.
According to Lisak’s booking information, the address mentioned is his registered home address. However, the prosecutor informed the judge that investigators have expressed skepticism regarding his actual residency at that particular location.
Robert Jackson, a district administrator, characterized it as “an exceptionally advanced apparatus arranged within the apartment, specifically engineered to disrupt our signal.”
Jackson added, “In order to locate it, we had to make adjustments to our instruments.”
In a statement to FOX10 News, Charlie McNichol, the director of the 911 system, revealed that the interference resulted in a complete cessation of communications for a day during the previous week.
During the Tuesday of the previous week, it gave rise to significant issues in the downtown area,” he mentioned. “To be more precise, the alarms were emanating from our tower site situated at Government Plaza. Consequently, the initial responders faced serious difficulties in their communication efforts.”
It remains unclear what the motive may have been, officials said. Blackwood said he does not know what the defendant was planning, or where he got the equipment.
McNichol said he does not know if Lisak just enjoys watching chaos or if he had something more sinister planned and attempted to jam communications as part of that.
“This individual had some cell phone jamming equipment that you buy on the black market,” he said. “It’s illegal to even possess it. And that’s what was causing the problems.”
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