But Found Guilty Of Lesser Charges For Their Stunt
Three BASE jumpers who leaped from the top of 1 World Trade Center in September, 2013 have been acquitted of the most serious charge leveled against them, but were found guilty of lesser charges associated with the stunt.
The jumpers are James Brady, 33, Marko Markovich, 28, and Andrew Rossig, 28. They admitted making the leap, but disputed the charges of felony burglary and reckless endangerment.
On Monday, a jury agreed that the trio had not committed felony burglary, a charge which could have carried a seven-year prison term. But they were found guilty of the lesser charges of reckless endangerment and BASE jumping, both misdemeanors.
In a news release, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. said that Brady, Markovich, and Rossig were convicted following a trial in New York State Supreme Court of Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, BASE Jumping and Reckless Endangerment of Property. Brady and Rossig are expected to be sentenced on August 10th and Markovich is expected to be sentenced on August 17th.
“In the nearly two years since this BASE jump occurred, the three men who parachuted off One World Trade Center have yet to acknowledge the dangerousness or cost of their actions,” said District Attorney Vance. “The defendants took pride in their perceived accomplishment, and seemed to relish evasion of authorities. Today, a jury found their stunt to be reckless and illegal. Thanks to the NYPD, the Port Authority Police, prosecutors in my office, and the jury in this case, these defendants are being held accountable for their crimes.”
As proven at trial, at approximately 3:00 a.m. on September 30, 2013, Brady, Markovich, and Rossig entered the One World Trade Center construction site. The defendants climbed 104 flights to the tower’s communications ring where BRADY, who was employed as an iron worker at the construction site, had previously hidden their equipment. They jumped off the ring and parachuted down, one landing on the West Side Highway and the others in the surrounding area.
Upon witnessing one of the defendants landing, a manager at a local bagel store called 911. Following a joint investigation between the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the NYPD, and the Port Authority Police Department, the defendants were arrested in March 2014.
Meanwhile, the BASE jumping community is trying to help the three out with their legal bills. Blueskiesmag.com has established the NYC BASE Jump Trust to take donations to offset some of the costs associated with their defense.
(Image from YouTube video captured during 1 World Trade Center jump)
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