Brian J. Choppin, Suspected of Transporting Marijuana Through President Obama's No-Fly Zone, Will See Case Head to D.A.
When you fly your allegedly marijuana-packed plane into a no-fly zone created to protect the President of the United States of America, you've committed a huge party foul.
And now Long Beach police tell the Weekly they're wrapping up a case against pilot Brian J. Choppin, 43, for alleged "possession and transportation" of narcotics.
In fact, we're told ...
... the department's evidence could be headed to the District Attorney's office for its consideration today or tomorrow. The D.A. will have the option to file charges (or not).
L.A. County Sheriff's inmate records indicate Choppin only spent a few hours in jail after he was arrested on suspicion of similar allegations. His bail, which he or an associate apparently posted, had been set at $20,000.
It all happened one week ago when the suspect was behind the controls of a Cessna 182 that allegedly entered airspace reserved exclusively for President Obama during his fund-raising visit to Southern California.
When the incident took place Thursday morning Obama was reportedly en route to Los Angeles aboard his helicopter, Marine One, following an event in Corona Del Mar, which is in South Orange County.
(The president was not, as we erroneously assumed, en route to San Francisco from LAX aboard Air Force One: Officials told us the alleged incursion happened in the airspace controlled by LAX, and we thus assumed wrong).
Anywho, Choppin has got to be the unluckiest alleged bud transporter in history: He was forced to land at Long Beach Airport by two F-16 fighters.
When the little plane was searched by cops, they claim to have found a reported 10 kilos of non-presidential stickiness.
And with that we say, godspeed, Choppin.
[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]
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