Gyrocopter Pilot Who Landed on Capitol Lawn Pleads Not Guilty

Doug Hughes, the Riverview mailman who made national headlines by landing on the U.S. Capitol lawn on April 15 with a Tax Day message for Congress, has entered a not guilty plea in federal court following a grand jury indictment Wednesday on six charges.

That plea was entered in federal court Thursday afternoon. The judge has lifted the house arrest restriction on Hughes, the Tampa Bay Times reported, but he must continue to wear a GPS monitor. In addition, he is restricted to Hillsborough County.

If convicted, Hughes could face more than nine years in prison. That time frame, Hughes told NBC news Thursday morning, 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.

See Also:

• Gyrocopter Pilot Who Landed On U.S. Capitol Lawn Indicted on 6 Charges
• Peaceful Protest Prompted U.S. Capitol 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 Capitol Lawn

Hughes had been on a crusade to draw attention to the need for America to reform its campaign finance rules for some time. His website,thedemocracyclub.org, detailed his plans to personally deliver letters to all members of Congress to raise awareness about campaign finance corruption. Those letters were in Hughes’ possession at the time of his landing.

Hughes’ wife, Alena, retained attorney Paul Carr following the incident. Carr insisted in April, Hughes was simply doing his job as a postman delivering mail.

On his website, Hughes announced plans for the flight long ago and made it clear his intentions were peaceful.

“Let me say first – this is a non-violent demonstration,” Hughes wrote on his website long before Wednesday’s flight. “I have no intention of hurting anyone – I have taken every precaution to prevent any injury to anyone, including me.“

What do you think should happen here? Should Hughes face prison time or was he just a mailman on a mission? Tell us what you think by commenting below!

Image via Shutterstock

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