Late last year, Jared Butler saw a job posting on the job search site Indeed for a drone security pilot for a company called SMS Novel. Almost two months later, Butler is out over $200 and he says the company, SMS Novel is at fault.
In November, SMS Novel claimed it would begin operating drone surveillance in Memphis to combat crime. The “Christian-based film company,” said that the program would launch Dec. 31 in a select area in Memphis due to the high criminal activity.
Butler, who lives in Southaven, said he saw the job posting and decided to apply, the gig was nearby in Memphis, full-time, no more than 40 hours a week and the hourly pay was good. Butler said he was hired specifically for “Operation Memphis Guardian,” the drone security program that was slated to begin in December.
Jomo K. Johnson, the founder of SMS Novel, had Butler pay the $200 fee for training and his Part 107 Drone Pilot’s license. The trainings were supposed to be in person, Butler said, but half the time they were emails with links to YouTube videos. Another training, Butler said, never happened.