Charged
Hughes is indicted by a federal grand jury on six charges, including three violations of national defense airspace, operating a vehicle falsely labeled as a postal carrier, operating as an airman without certification and violation registration requirements. The latter two charges are felonies. He faces up to 9 ½ years in prison.
Charged
Hughes appears in federal court this afternoon, and is charged with one count of knowingly operating an aircraft not properly registered and one count of violating national air defense space. He wears his U.S. Postal uniform. He also has to wear court earphones so he can hear. In total, he faces four years in prison, plus fines. The judge releases him on his own recognizance with a series of conditions: He must stay away from any type of aircraft, he must report to pretrial services in Tampa once a week and he must be confined to his home in Florida. His next appearance is scheduled for May 8.