Second Florida Man Charged With Flying Drone Near Pre-Super Bowl Events
TAMPA (CBSMiami/AP) — A second Florida man has charged with violating national defense airspace for reportedly a drone near the location of the Super Bowl the day before the big game.
Kevin Canty, 33, of West Palm Beach, faces up to a year in federal prison.
As part of the security plan for Super Bowl LV, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary flight restriction Wednesday covering an area around Tampa. That's where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the championship game Sunday night.
According to the complaint, FBI agents saw a drone flying Saturday in downtown Tampa, several miles from the stadium, and then located Canty, the drone's operator. Canty told agents that he is an FAA-licensed drone pilot and he was aware of the temporary flight restriction, prosecutors said.
A review of the drone's flight path showed it had traveled near public events related to the Super Bowl.
The second man charged with flying a drone in restricted Tampa airspace last week was 33-year-old Henry Alejandro Jimenez of Orlando. He was arrested last Wednesday. No connection was reported between the two drone operators.
(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)