Nov. 25--Geoffrey Biteman, 18, pleaded guilty Monday to stealing of an airplane in Roseau, Minn., as part of a plea deal, said county prosecutor Michael Grover.
During a hearing Monday in state district court in Roseau, Biteman and a judge agreed to the deal, which includes 60 days in jail and 60 days on electronic home monitoring.
The crime of motor vehicle theft has a top sentence of 10 years in prison and $20,000 fine.
During the summer and fall, Biteman had stolen the 1971 Cessna 150 and flown it several times into the Thief River Falls airport. He later left the plane at a St. Thomas, N.D., farm where he got injured when he rolled a sugar beet truck in October.
Investigators said he apparently learned to fly mostly on his own and admitted he had no pilot's license.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating Biteman for piloting an aircraft without a pilot's license, said FAA spokeswoman Elizabeth Cory.
The court system is not done with Biteman yet. He's also due to be sentenced Dec. 16 in Clearwater County for stealing a horse trailer in Bagley, Minn., in June. The Marshall County Sheriff's Department is also investigating his alleged involvement in the theft of a horse.
Probation
Biteman attended high school in Roseau and has been living in Thief River Falls this year, investigators said.
He has no serious criminal record and could have qualified for a stayed sentence under state guidelines, according to Grover. His sentence will include a deferred sentence of 13 months in prison which could be imposed during five years of unsupervised probation if he violates its conditions.
He also must pay about $1,000 in fines and fees and any restitution determined by the airplane's owner.
Biteman has been in the Roseau County jail since his arrest in October.
Call Lee at (701) 780-1237; (800) 477-6572, ext. 1237; or send email to [email protected].
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