Gyrocopter pilot who landed at the U.S. Capitol rejects plea offer

(Image credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

published 22 June 2015

In April, a Florida man navigated his gyrocopter through some of the most restricted airspace in the world to land on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. Now, Douglas Hughes, 61, is facing the consequences of his stunt. Hughes has just rejected a plea offer that would've involved a prison sentence of several years because he did not think that was fair punishment for an incident in which no one got hurt, The Associated Press reports.

In May, Hughes pleaded not guilty to the six charges he faces for his gyrocopter flight. His charges include violating national defense airspace, failing to register his gyrocopter, sporting an unauthorized Postal Service logo on his gyrocopter, and not having proper pilot's credentials. Hughes will appear in federal court in Washington, D.C. on Monday for a status hearing. According to Hughes, now that he has rejected the plea offer, it is all the more likely that his case will go to trial. Becca Stanek

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