Mon, Mar 31, 2008
Is Four Years Jail-Time For Copping A Citation, Enough?
Remember Daniel Wolcott? The pilot who earned the distinction of
being listed as one of ANN's annual Aero-Bozos is going to spend
(more) time in the slammer.
Nearly two and a half years after stealing a Citation for a
multi-state joyride, the pilot has been sentenced to serve another
year and a half in jail, to complete a four year sentence (having
been giving credit for the time he has served, thus far, in Georgia
and Florida jails).
Daniel Andrew Wolcott was originally
jailed, facing federal charges (in addition to the six state
charges) after he stole a $7 million Citation VII from a Florida
airport in October of 2005 and flew the bizjet to Georgia's
Gwinnett County Field. There; the (then) 22-year-old met five
friends (who apparently had no idea Wolcott had commandeered the
jet illicitly) and took them on a joyride over the Peach State,
before landing back at the closed airfield and then abandoning the
aircraft. The five passengers -- identified as Nathaniel Lewis
Baker, Michael Coffey, James Corbett, Ian Andrew Smith and Mark
Zwak -- told officials Wolcott called them and told them to be at
the Georgia airport early Sunday to meet him and go flying.
He then caught a commercial flight back to Florida, going about
his business as a charter pilot before being caught.
Wolcott, who wasn't rated to fly the Citation, was described in
media reports as "a talented and gifted pilot." Still, this
little stunt has ensured that he won't be seen in an airplane
cockpit again for a long, long time (or giving aviation any more
black eyes...).
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