Feds want wayward Canadian pilot jailed until his case is resolved

ST. LOUIS -- Federal prosecutors will seek a grand jury indictment against the man accused of stealing a plane in Canada and landing more than seven hours later along a Missouri highway, and they want him jailed until his case is resolved.

Adam Dylan Leon, 31, faces two federal charges for allegedly stealing a single-engine Cessna 172 on Monday from his Ontario flight school, flying erratically over seven states while being tailed by F-16s, then landing along a desolate southern Missouri highway near the town of Ellsinore.

In court filings, assistant federal prosecutor D. John Sauer said Leon should remain jailed because he's a risk to the community and a risk to flee. A detention hearing will be held this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas C. Mummert.

Adam Dylan Leon, the suspect who allegedly stole an aircraft from Canada Monday, is seen in a booking photo released by the Butler County, Missouri Sheriff's Department Tuesday, April 7, 2009. (AP Photo/Daily American Republic, Butler County Sheriff)

A preliminary hearing also would be today, but Sauer wants it continued to April 17 so the government can go to a grand jury and seek an indictment. Sauer said in the court filing the case will be presented to the grand jury Wednesday. If an indictment is returned, the preliminary hearing would not be necessary.

Leon has been appointed a federal public defender, Lucy Liggett. Phone and e-mail messages left with her were not returned. Leon remains jailed in St. Louis.

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.

The flight initially raised concerns about terrorism or the potential for some other hostile action. The state Capitol in Madison, Wis., was evacuated and commercial jets were advised to watch out for the Cessna.

The F-16 pilots used hand gestures and flares to try to convince Leon to land, but officials with the North American Aerospace Defense Command said shooting down the plane was never seriously considered.

Authorities said the plane was nearly out of fuel when it landed Monday night on a former stretch of U.S. 60 that is now just a loop off the main highway. The highway patrol said Leon got a ride from a passer-by to a store, where he bought a Gatorade and sat at a booth until authorities arrived.

According to the federal complaint, Leon told the FBI he "has not felt like himself lately" and he recently was being treated by a psychiatrist.

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, federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway has said.