A San Diego man has admitted to a series of federal crimes after twice landing a plane illegally on a U.S. Navy airstrip. Andrew Kyle White, 37, pled guilty to a felony charge of theft of government property and a misdemeanor charge of illegal entry into a naval installation. The plea comes after White cut off his ankle bracelet, violating the terms of his bond, and has since been in federal custody, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California.
The unusual series of events began on October 29, 2023, when White first landed on San Clemente Island despite warnings that doing so was a federal offense. He returned on April 6, flying a Glastar plane without authorization to enter the naval base. Once on the island, White took a Navy-owned Ford F-150, valued at about $16,000, and used it to ram through gates while attempting to access restricted areas. The damage and towing costs totaled roughly $8,077.
Navy officials have estimated that White's intrusion caused significant disruption, including nearly 500 man-hours of lost work and a staggering loss of $500,000 to taxpayers. As stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California, “The island went on a complete lockdown. Personnel engaged in a highly dangerous mission to locate the unknown intruder(s) notwithstanding the dangers they were exposing themselves too, from the weather, the terrain, and the potential unexploded ordnances that could have been underfoot in that area.”
U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II has scheduled White's sentencing for September 29, where he could face a maximum of 10 years in federal prison for the theft, and up to six months for the illegal entry charge. This case has been investigated by several agencies, including the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the FBI, with Assistant United States Attorneys Frances S. Lewis and Ian V. Yanniello prosecuting, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California. For more information, the public can reach out to Ciaran McEvoy, Public Information Officer, at [email protected] or call (213) 894-4465.
.jpg){kind=link}