ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Palmer man with illegally operating an aircraft.
According to court documents, William Marsan, 56, is allegedly the owner and pilot of a private aircraft in Alaska. In June 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received a report that Marsan did not radio his intention to take off from an airport in Palmer and operated the aircraft against the flow of landing traffic, resulting in a near mid-air collision with another aircraft attempting to land.
Law enforcement investigated the June 2023 incident and discovered that Marsan was allegedly operating an aircraft without a valid license or valid registration. They also discovered he had allegedly obscured the identification number on the side of the aircraft with stickers.
As a result of the investigation, the FAA issued an Emergency Order of Revocation of the defendant’s Airline Transport Pilot Certificate, which required the immediate surrender of his pilot license or the filing of an appeal of the decision within 10 days. Marsan allegedly failed to file an appeal or surrender his license but has continued to operate his aircraft until the date of this indictment.
Marsan is charged with one count of operating an aircraft without an airman certificate in violation of 49 U.S.C. §46306(b)(7), one count of operating an unregistered aircraft in violation of 49 U.S.C. §46306(b)(6)(A) and one count of operating an aircraft displaying a false registration mark in violation of 49 U.S.C. §46306(b)(3). The defendant was arrested on July 18 and will make his initial court appearance on July 23 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Scott A. Oravec of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office and Regional Administrator Michael O’Hare of the FAA, Alaska Region made the announcement.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and the FAA, Alaska Region are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bradley is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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