UPDATE:
Suarez has pleaded guilty to knowingly and willfully violating national defense airspace. This means he will be subject to 100 hours of community service and a $500 fine.
In NFL terms, he dodged a game-ending sack, as he could've been sentenced to a max of four years in federal prison.
Original Article:
A Maryland man is facing federal felony charges for allegedly flying a drone over M&T Bank Stadium during the Ravens' Wild Card game on January 11.
If convicted, 34-year-old Alexis Perez Suarez faces a maximum of four years in federal prison.
During the game, the Federal Aviation Administration put in place a temporary flight restriction (TFR) for the stadium. This restriction prevents certain aircrafts from operating within a three nautical mile radius of the stadium.
This goes into effect one hour before start time and lasts until one hour after the end of the event. This restriction is standard practice for major sporting events.
Officials say, during the game, an unidentified done was deemed a serious enough threat that NFL security temporarily suspended the game.
Police were able to track the drone to where it landed in Baltimore. Despite Suarez having left the scene, officials were able to track down his whereabouts.
The drone was not registered, nor did Suarez possess a Remote Pilot Certificate to operate it, police say.
Suarez allegedly flew the drone directly over the stadium.
According to the affidavit, while in flight, Suarez captured about seven photos of the stadium while the game was going on and thousands of people were below his flight path.
