Charged With Operating An Aircraft Without An Airman’s Certificate

A Federal jury in U.S. District Court, Burlington, Vermont, last month convicted Angelo Efthimiatos of Sudbury, Vermont, on one count of knowingly and willfully serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate. He was indicted in April 2018.

 
According to the indictment, on April 10, 2018, Efthimiatos piloted a Piper aircraft from Nantucket, Massachusetts, to North Clarendon, Vermont, although he lacked an airline transport pilot’s certificate. The FAA revoked his certificate on July 1, 2014, after he was convicted in Federal court for using an aircraft to transport 50 kilograms or more of marijuana.

The revocation order informed Efthimiatos that his airman’s certificate had been permanently revoked and that the FAA would reject any future pilot certificate applications from him. The order also required him to surrender his airman’s certificate to the FAA, which he failed to do.
 
DOT-OIG conducted this investigation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. The FAA provided substantial assistance.

(Source: DOT OIG news release)

FMI: www.oig.dot.gov