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California Man Sentenced to Prison for Piloting Private Jets without a Type Rating

A California man was sentenced to 10 months in prison for illegally piloting Cessna Citation and Falcon 10 jets for paying passengers. Textron Aviation
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Arnold Gerald Leto III was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison and a $5,500 fine for illegally piloting private airplanes.
  • Leto conducted numerous unauthorized flights from at least 2015, often carrying paying passengers, without proper pilot licenses or required aircraft type ratings.
  • He continued to fly, even serving as the sole pilot on multi-pilot required aircraft, after the FAA had already revoked his pilot certifications.
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On April 27, 2016, Arnold Gerald Leto III was arrested on federal charges of illegally piloting a private airplane from Los Angeles to Las Vegas without a pilot’s license. The Department of Justice and FAA determined that Leto had illegally piloted a number of flights dating back to at least 2015, and he ultimately pleaded guilty to the charges. This week, Leto was sentenced to 10 months in federal prison, and required to pay a $5,500 fine.

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