A Chinese citizen who pleaded guilty to flying a drone over the Vandenberg Space Force Base was sentenced to time served, supervised release, and a small fine on Monday.
On November 30, 2024, 34-year-old Yinpiao Zhou flew a drone from Lompoc’s Ocean Beach to photograph the midnight launch of a rocket carrying a national reconnaissance satellite, using software on his drone to bypass standard regulations. He was immediately met by security officials in the park 1.8 miles north from where he flew the drone, where his footage was deleted.
Zhou faced two charges — failure to register an aircraft and an airspace violation — but accepted a plea deal to drop the first charge and accept the airspace violation. He faced a maximum sentence of one year in jail, one year of supervised release, and a fine of $100,000, and he also could have been deported, denied citizenship, and denied admission into the United States in the future.
On March 31, he was sentenced with the prison time he served, which was four months; one year of supervised release; a $200 fine; and a $25 special assessment.
