Canadian Man Charged With Interstate Transportation of a Stolen Plane

ST. LOUIS, April 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Adam Dylan Leon was charged
today in a federal complaint with transportation of stolen property and
illegal entry for flying a stolen Cessna 172 aircraft into the United States
from Canada, announced U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway.

According to the affidavit filed with the federal complaint: Yesterday
afternoon, April 6, 2009, a Cessna 172 took off from an airport in the area of
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, without approval from air traffic control and
without radio contact. The plane was owned by Confederation College, a flight
training school, in Thunder Bay. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police later
determined that the plane was stolen by Adam Leon, a student at Confederation
College and that he did not have authorization to fly the plane.

Due to the unknown nature of the flight and Leon's lack of radio
communication, appropriate authorities were notified of the plane's location
and direction of travel for public safety. A U.S. Department of Defense
aircraft intercepted the Cessna 172 after it entered United States airspace.
Attempts to communicate with Leon were unsuccessful. Leon landed the plane on
a road off of Highway 60 near Ellsinore, Mo. He was arrested by the Missouri
Highway Patrol at a local grocery store in Ellsinore.

Yavuz Berke, a/k/a Adam Dylan Leon, 31, of Thunder Bay, Ontario, was charged
in the federal complaint with a violation of Title 18, USC, Section 2312,
interstate transportation of a stolen aircraft; and Title 8, USC , 1325(a)(1),
illegal entry into the United States.

Interstate transportation of stolen property carries a maximum penalty of ten
years in prison. Illegally entering the United States carries a penalty of
six months prison.

The charges set forth in a complaint are merely accusations, and each
defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

SOURCE U.S. Department of Justice

Jan Diltz, +1-314-539-2200, +1-314-539-3887 of the Office of United States
Attorney Catherine L. Hanaway, Eastern District of Missouri