Florida Mailman Who Flew Gyrocopter to U.S. Capitol Rejects Offer: Report

Douglas Hughes, the Florida mailman who flew his gyrocopter to the U.S. Capitol in a sign of protest, plans to reject a plea deal that would mean several years in prison he told the Associated Press Monday morning. Hughes is scheduled to appear Monday in federal court in Washington for a status hearing in his case, the AP reports.

Hughes says his flight on April 15, which he had talked about doing ahead of time, was an act of protest against campaign finance and that he didn’t hurt anyone.

Hughes had earlier told NBC news that facing that amount of prison time is “outrageous.”

“I never expected to walk away scot-free for what I did, but on the other hand, 9½ years I think is just a bit outrageous,” the network quoted him as saying.

Charges against Hughes, 61, include three violations of national defense airspace, operating a vehicle falsely labeled as a postal carrier, operating as an airman without certification and violation registration requirements. The latter two charges are felonies.

Hughes’ Tax Day special delivery resulted in a temporary lockdown of the Capitol Visitor Center and the Florida man’s arrest.

Hughes tells the AP Monday it’s likely that his case will go to trial.

Since his arrest, Hughes must wear a GPS monitor and has been restricted to Hillsborough County, Fla.

See also:

• Peaceful Protest Prompted U.S. Capital Lawn Gyrocopter Landing, Pilot Says
• Capitol-Landing Pilot Was Just Doing His Job, Attorney Says
• Washington Goes on Brief Alert as Rogue Pilot Lands on Capital Lawn