Man Pleads Guilty for Drone Incident During Steelers Playoff Game

A 43-year-old Baltimore native has pleaded guilty to flying a drone over M&T Bank Stadium during the Pittsburgh Steelers' Wild Card round game against the Baltimore Ravens back in January.

Per the Baltimore Banner's Darreonna Davis, Alexis Perez Suarez has been sentenced to one year of probation, 100 hours of community service and a $500 fine for his actions.

The ordeal led officials to pause the Steelers' playoff matchup with the Ravens for several minutes. There had been a temporary flight restriction that banned specific aircraft from operating within a radius of three nautical miles, which is commonplace during sporting events. The Maryland State Police and the FBI tracked the drone and then pointed out Perez Suarez as the individual who was flying the drone.

“It is not just irresponsible and reckless, but illegal to fly a drone over a major sporting event such as a Ravens playoff game. Capturing a photo is not worth the risk of hurting any spectators, players, or employees. As shown by this investigation, the FBI and our partners will hold those caught violating the law fully accountable,” Amanda M. Koldjeski, acting special agent in charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said in a statement provided by the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maryland.

Another individual had previously been fined $500 and received one year of probation after flying a drone over M&T Bank Stadium while the Ravens were hosting the AFC Championship Game against the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, in January 2024.

Pittsburgh would go on to lose by a score of 28-14 to the Ravens in their playoff bout, marking the former's fifth loss in a row to close out the 2024 campaign. Baltimore proceeded to fall in the Divisional Round against the Buffalo Bills.