ARLB054 Fake SOS brings sentence
QST de W1AW
ARRL Bulletin 54  ARLB054
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT  May 13, 1993
To all radio amateurs

An Amateur Extra class licensee has been sentenced for making fake
distress transmissions on 14.313 MHz.

Fifty-year-old Jorge Mestre, NS3K, of Fairfax, Virginia, had pled
guilty in February to knowingly and willfully communicating false
distress signals on August 7, 1992.  At that time he made a plea
agreement to surrender his FCC amateur license, dispose of his
Amateur Radio equipment within 60 days, and make immediate
restitution of $50,000 to the U.S. Coast Guard.

At sentencing in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va., Mestre was
given one year probation on condition of his serving 60 days home
confinement, ordered to perform 200 hours of community service, and
to pay a 50 dollar special assessment.

Mestre could have received a fine of up to $250,000 and up to 6
years imprisonment.

More information is in April, 1993 QST, page 79.
/EX