Lake Forest Area Man Flying Without a License Finds Skies Not So Friendly

LAKE FOREST, CA — The lure of the skies was great for a Lake Forest area man in what was called a "flagrant violation of the rules" by the FAA.

On Monday, this 36-year-old Irvine man pleaded guilty Monday to illegally flying private jets without having a valid pilot's license.

Arnold Gerald Leto III faces up to six years in federal prison when he is sentenced in February on two counts of piloting a plane without a license, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Leto acknowledged flying a Falcon 10 turbojet with eight passengers aboard from Van Nuys Airport to Las Vegas on April 8, and a Cessna Citation turbojet from Santa Monica to Phoenix on Jan. 30, 2015, court papers show.

An affidavit filed in connection with the case states that Leto -- whose pilot license was revoked earlier this year -- operated the Falcon without having the required co-pilot, and was not certified to fly that type of aircraft.

"Federal regulations governing the operation of aircraft and other common carriers are designed to protect the traveling public," U.S. Attorney Eileen M. Decker said when Leto was indicted in May.

"The investigation into Mr. Leto shows that he flagrantly violated these rules -- and continued to do so after the FAA took action to take him out of the air," she said then.

Leto's pilot certificate -- which he failed to surrender after it was revoked in January by the Federal Aviation Administration -- did not have a turbojet-type rating that would authorize him to fly a Falcon, even if another pilot had been present, authorities said.

City News Service contributed to this report, Pixabay Photo