A Florida man who flew a gyrocopter through some of America's most restricted airspace before landing at the U.S. Capitol has pleaded not guilty to the six charges he faces.
Douglas Hughes appeared Thursday in federal court in Washington. The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia announced Wednesday that a grand jury had indicted him on charges that carry up to 9½ years in prison.
Hughes, who took off from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was arrested April 15 after he landed on the Capitol's West Lawn in his bare-bones aircraft. Hughes has said he wanted to call attention to the influence of big money in politics.
Downtown Washington is blanketed by restrictions on air traffic that generally prohibit aircraft from flying over the White House, the Capitol, the National Mall and key buildings without special permission.
Hughes flew through three no-fly zones, according to the government.
House Homeland Security panel Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, said Hughes landed on his own but had he made it much closer to the Capitol, authorities were prepared to shoot him down.
Witnesses said the aircraft approached the Capitol from the west, flying low over the National Mall and the Capitol reflecting pool across the street from the building. It barely cleared a row of trees and a statue of Gen. Ulysses Grant.
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Hughes is charged with two felonies — operating as an airman without an airman's certificate and violating registration requirements involving aircraft — and four misdemeanors. The misdemeanors include three counts of violation of national defense airspace and one count of operating a vehicle falsely labeled as a postal carrier.
Hughes was on leave from the U.S. Postal Service when he made his flight, but the gyrocopter bore the logo and emblem of the U.S. Postal Service without authorization.
In court Thursday, Hughes asked to have his gyrocopter returned, but promised he would not attempt such a stunt again. In a statement he read to the court, he said he stood by his beliefs that enough is enough when it comes to campaign finance.
Hughes has been free on personal recognizance. He was on home detention in Florida since the incident, but will now be outfitted with a monitoring system and will be permitted to travel within Hillsborough County, Florida, where he lives.
His next court appearance is scheduled for May 27.
