U.S. court sentences Thunder Bay aviation student Dylan Leon to two years in jail after he caused a terror scare in April, when he flew a stolen Cessna across the border. Two U.S. F-16s followed him until he landed seven hours later.
ST. LOUIS, MO— A 31-year-old Thunder Bay, Ontario, man who caused a terror scare by crossing into U.S. airspace from Canada in a stolen Cessna has been jailed for two years.
Dylan Leon was sentenced to 24 months in prison on federal charges of interstate transportation of a stolen aircraft, importation of a stolen aircraft, and illegal entry, for flying a stolen Cessna 172 aircraft into the United States from Canada, said Acting United States Attorney Michael W. Reap. .
According to fact filed in court, Leon, who had been taking aviation classes at Confederation College of Applied Arts and Technology in Thunder Bay, stole a Cessna 172 training aircraft on April 6, 2009.
Leon then flew the plane into U.S. air space causing the United States to scramble F-16 fighter planes to escort his flight while he maintained radio silence.
“He did not obtain approval from air traffic control and did not respond to radio contact. Due to the unknown nature of the flight and Leon’s lack of radio communication, appropriate authorities were notified of the plane’s location and direction of travel,” said Reap in a
statement.
“American and Canadian authorities coordinated a prompt response to ensure the public safety. United States Department of Defense and Customs and Border Patrol aircraft intercepted the Cessna 172 after it entered United States airspace, and closely tracked its progress,” he said.
“Attempts to communicate with Leon were unsuccessful. After flying the plane southward through United States airspace for several hours, Leon landed the plane on a road off of Highway 60 near Ellsinore, MO. He was arrested shortly after by the Missouri Highway Patrol at a local grocery store in Ellsinore,” he said.
“Illegally entering the United States in a stolen plane is tantamount to a breach of our nation’s borders,” said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of the ICE Office of Investigations in Chicago. “We work closely with our law enforcement partners to identify border security threats and investigate those who violate U.S. immigration and customs laws.”
“This turned out not to be a terrorist act and fortunately no one got hurt,” said Roland J. Corvington, FBI special agent in St. Louis. “But today’s sentencing shows how the FBI and its partners take national security seriously by dedicating unlimited hours and resources needed to resolve what was a threat at the time.”
Leon, formerly known as Yavuz Berke (though officials did not indicate a reason for the name change), pleaded guilty in August to one felony count of interstate transportation of a stolen aircraft, one felony count of importation of a stolen aircraft, and one count of illegal entry into the United States.
He appeared Tuesday for sentencing before United States District Judge Charles A. Shaw, in St. Louis, MO.
