Florida Man Accused of Murder-for-Hire Plot After Heated Drone Dispute With Neighbor

A neighborhood feud in Clermont, Florida, has taken a chilling turn after 69-year-old David Butka was accused of attempting to orchestrate a murder-for-hire plot from behind bars. The conflict, which reportedly began over a drone, escalated into a series of legal battles that now see Butka facing severe felony charges.

The friction reached a breaking point when the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a drone flying over homes in a Clermont neighborhood. The encounter allegedly ended with Butka throwing a rock at his neighbor’s truck, hitting the passenger-side window while the victim was driving. While Butka admitted to flying the drone, he denied the rock-throwing incident. However, a witness corroborated the victim's account, leading to Butka's arrest for aggravated assault after deputies noted he had "struck fear" into his neighbor.

The situation grew more complex while Butka was being held at the Lake County Jail. On September 16, a fellow inmate approached jail supervisors, claiming Butka had asked for help in having the neighbor killed. According to court records, Butka allegedly boasted of having $1.3 million in the bank and offered a $5,000 down payment to facilitate the hit. To move the plan forward, Butka reportedly gave his credit card to the inmate’s wife and provided a handwritten note featuring his name, address, and phone number.

Butka has denied the murder-for-hire allegations, telling investigators that the money was actually intended to help the inmate hire a new attorney. The neighbor involved in the dispute had previously served as a witness in two other cases involving Butka and claimed a history of harassment.

Though Butka was scheduled for a potential release on the original assault charge, he was re-arrested on the new solicitation charges and held on a $25,000 bond. According to Lake County Sheriff’s Office records, Butka has since posted the bond and been released.