Psych Evaluation For Stolen Plane Suspect
A federal judge on Friday ordered a psychiatric evaluation for the man accused of stealing a plane in Canada and flying over three states before landing along a dark southern Missouri highway.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Mummert ordered the evaluation of Adam Dylan Leon, 31, during a brief court hearing in St. Louis.
A preliminary hearing and a detention hearing were also scheduled for Friday, but both were put on hold pending the results of the psychiatric evaluation, which will be performed by the Bureau of Prisons.
Leon faces two federal charges for allegedly stealing a single-engine Cessna 172 on Monday from the Ontario flight school he attended. The unauthorized flight into U.S. air space forced two F-16s into action, tailing the stolen plane until it landed near Ellsinore, Missouri.
The FBI and Missouri State Highway Patrol have said Leon told them he was trying to commit suicide, hoping U.S. fighter jets would shoot him down.
Leon appeared at Friday's hearing. Slender and with a several-days growth of beard, he mostly kept his head down. He was sworn in and asked by the judge if he understood what had transpired during the hearing. Leon answered, "More or less."
Assistant U.S. Attorney D. John Sauer said prosecutors will seek a grand jury indictment against Leon. Court documents indicate the government will present its case to a grand jury on Wednesday.
The government has also said it wants Leon detained until his trial is complete, saying he is a possible risk to the community and a risk to flee.
Leon was born Yavuz Berke in Turkey before moving to Canada, changing his name, and becoming a naturalized citizen. He was described as a good student and well-liked at the Confederation College Flight School in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where the plane was stolen.
Leon could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted and would serve any sentence in the U.S. before being deported, U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway has said.