Source: Office of United States Attorneys
Tampa, Florida – Acting United States Attorney Sara C. Sweeney announces that Ernesto Cordero (54, Bradenton) has pleaded guilty to operating as an airman without the required airman certificate. Cordero faces a maximum penalty of three years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Cordero obtained a student pilot’s license. That license allowed him to operate his personal helicopter with an instructor in the passenger seat or fly the helicopter alone in certain circumstances. The license did not authorize Cordero to fly with passengers. To fly with passengers, Cordero would need to get a full pilot’s license. He never did. Instead, Cordero frequently flew his helicopter with passengers onboard, despite the restrictions on his license.
In June 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received a complaint when Cordero landed his helicopter at Egmont Key State Park off the coast of Tampa. When he landed, a passenger left and then returned to the helicopter. The following month, the FAA received another complaint that Cordero was flying others in his helicopter from a dock behind a home in Marathon. After these incidents, the FAA learned that Cordero’s helicopter was landing at Tampa Executive Airport. Once the helicopter landed, Cordero admitted that he was again flying the helicopter and that he had a passenger onboard.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Aviation Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Buchanan.