A 27‑year‑old San Francisco man is facing a federal charge after a criminal complaint alleged he piloted a drone over Levi's Stadium during the San Francisco 49ers' Nov. 9, 2025, game and sent it up to roughly 2,300 feet above ground level. Authorities say the flight busted through the temporary flight restrictions that lock down the airspace during major stadium events.
According to the East Bay Times, the defendant is Junwei Guo, 27, of San Francisco, and he is scheduled to appear in federal court in San Jose for an initial appearance on Feb. 27. The criminal complaint also alleges Guo did not hold a remote pilot certificate and had not registered the drone with the Federal Aviation Administration.
Why Stadium Flights Are Locked Down
Federal rules prohibit unmanned aircraft from operating within a three‑nautical‑mile radius of qualifying stadiums during many major sporting events, a standing safety measure meant to protect both packed crowds and legitimate air traffic. As the San Francisco Chronicle explains, those temporary flight restrictions can expand for high‑profile events and are enforced by the FAA and federal partners.
Legal Consequences
The criminal complaint charges a violation of the temporary flight restriction that applies to stadium events, an offense that can carry up to one year in prison and a $100,000 fine if the defendant is convicted, per East Bay Times. The filing also alleges he did not meet the FAA’s recreational‑use exception, which limits how hobbyist pilots may operate near events.
Federal authorities have been here before: in 2019, a man was charged after a drone dropped leaflets over NFL games, underscoring that violations can bring both civil penalties and criminal charges, according to ABC7. Officials routinely urge drone operators to check Notices to Air Missions (NOTAMs) and the FAA’s no‑drone guidance before flying near major events, as noted by the San Francisco Chronicle.
