Prosecutors Drop Charges Against NY Drone Hobbyists

(Source: NYPost.com)  

Manhattan prosecutors Wednesday dismissed charges against two hobbyists who were busted last July for flying their drones too close to an NYPD helicopter near the George Washington Bridge.

The felony reckless endangerment raps against Wilkins Mendoza, 34, and Remy Castro, 23, were dropped because they couldn’t prove the case without a reasonable doubt, prosecutors said.

Castro still faces federal charges for the incident, said Assistant District Attorney Nabilah Hossain.

“The FAA has filed federal charges against the defendant,” she said. “The case would be more properly handled by them.”
Castro’s attorney Michael Kushner said the federal charges were purely administrative.

“It’s an FAA proceeding to determine whether or not air space was violated based upon the officer’s statements that it was,” he explained. “We commend the DA’s office for actually taking the affirmative steps to dismiss the case.”

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