A Maryland man is facing three federal felony charges for illegally operating a drone during a wild-card playoff game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers on Jan. 11.
Alex Perez Suarez, a 43-year-old Baltimore native, is accused of flying an unregistered drone above M&T Bank Stadium when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had put in place a temporary flight restriction over the venue, according to an affidavit obtained by USA TODAY reporters.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office of Maryland described temporary flight restrictions in a press release as a ‘standard practice for stadiums or sporting venues’ with outdoor events. The affidavit also outlined that a temporary flight restriction is typically ‘in effect one hour before the scheduled start until one hour after the end of a qualifying event.’
Suarez’s drone flew over M&T Bank Stadium during the third quarter of the contest, snapping seven photos of the stadium and allegedly flying 400 feet above the stadium. NFL security temporarily suspended the game because of the drone, causing a brief delay in the action.
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There is a zero-tolerance policy for any drone or unmanned aircraft system (UAS) in the FAA’s ‘No-Drone Zone,’ according to Maryland’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. As a result, Suarez is facing three federal charges stemming from Title 49 U.S.C., as outlined in the affidavit. They are as follows:
- Knowing and willful operation of an unregistered aircraft when that aircraft is required to be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration;
- Knowing and willful operation of an aircraft without an airman’s certificate that authorizes the individual to serve in that capacity, when possessing such an airman certificate is required;
- Knowing or willful violation of national defense airspace.
Suarez claimed he had purchased the UAS for recreational purposes but also stated he used it for work. The drone was not registered and investigators said Suarez admitted that he did not possess a Remote Pilot Certificate to operate it.
If convicted, Suarez would face a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison for knowingly operating an unregistered UAS and for knowingly serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate, per the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He would also be subject to a maximum of one year in federal prison for willfully violating United States National Defense Airspace.
‘We are very serious about temporary flight restrictions,’ U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron said in a statement. ‘You will be charged and held accountable for any incursion into restricted airspace, including around sports and entertainment venues such as the Super Bowl.’