A 38-year-old man from Pomona, California, named Christian Estoque, is facing federal charges after investigators say he spent January flying stolen or unregistered aircraft between Washington state and Southern California. The crimes? He allegedly did so without a pilot’s license, which is bad, and while high on methamphetamine, which is even worse (and impressive).
According to a federal criminal complaint, the case began on January 3, when a single-engine aircraft was reported stolen from Auburn Municipal Airport in Washington. Three days later, the plane turned up at Corona Municipal Airport in California.
Investigators say its transponder had been deliberately manipulated to conceal the plane’s location.
Man Arrested After Flying Stolen Plane Across Country While High on Meth
Unfortunately for Estoque, fiddling with the plane’s transponder may have hidden it from radar, but people could still see it with the naked eye, as it was spotted at an airport in Kelso, Washington. Authorities linked the sighting to a couple who may have been on the same plane as Estoque.
On January 27, investigators tied the same suspects to a second attempted aircraft theft at Corona Municipal Airport. FBI agents conducting surveillance watched Estoque enter the aircraft and power on the engine, which they assumed was enough to indicate he was going to steal it. He was arrested on the spot.
Investigators say Estoque is not a registered pilot and was not authorized to fly either aircraft. The complaint says that he admitted to being under the influence of meth while operating at least one of the planes.
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