Frederick Man Pleads Guilty to Violating National Defense Airspace

Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man pled guilty and received a sentence in connection with flying an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) in restricted airspace.

Stuart Bennett, 66, of Frederick, pled guilty to knowingly and willfully violating United States National Defense Airspace after authorities discovered he flew a drone over U.S. national defense facilities.

Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea and sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Hanna Porterfield, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) – Washington, D.C. Field Office.

According to his guilty plea, Bennett admitted that in September 2025, he drove from his Frederick home to the Raven Rock Mountain Complex (RRMC), and the various sites that constitute parts of that complex, in Washington County, Maryland. Bennett then launched and operated an unapproved UAS over RRMC, in violation of the National Security UAS Flight Restrictions. Law enforcement officials determined that Bennett was responsible for the drone flight over RRMC and subsequently seized his UAS.

U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and NCIS for their work in the investigation, and the Department of War’s Pentagon Force Protection Agency for its valuable assistance.

For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.

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