Arkansas Teen Pleads Guilty To Trying To Steal Jet So He Could Attend Rap Concert
An Arkansas teen admitted he attempted to steal a commercial jet to fly to a rap concert in Chicago in July.
Zemarcuis Scott, 19, was arrested on July 4 after he was found in the cockpit of an American Eagle twin-engine jet at the Texarkana Regional Airport.
On Thursday afternoon, Scott appeared before Circuit Judge Carlton Jones and pleaded guilty to attempted theft of property and commercial burglary, reported the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Black said Scott received five years of probation on each charge. He will serve both probation terms consecutively.
Additionally, Scott must pay a $1,000 fine, court costs and participate in any mental health treatment deemed necessary by the probation department. Black said Scott is not allowed on Texarkana Regional Airport property while he's on probation.
Scott was first spotted by airport security personnel, who noticed Scott jump a fence onto the property about 2:30 a.m.
The security officers called Texarkana police, who discovered Scott in the pilot’s seat of the plane. Scott intended to take the plane to Illinois to see a Famous Dex concert.
Although Scott has no pilot experience, he told investigators that he wasn't concerned because he believed flying the aircraft was nothing but pulling levers and pushing buttons. He also admitted he thought about stealing the plane for a month before his attempt.
At a hearing in August at which Scott pleaded innocent to attempted commercial burglary and attempted theft of property, Mitchell asked the court to order a mental evaluation for Scott to determine if he was competent to stand trial.
In a report filed Dec. 21 in Miller County, a psychologist with Southwest Arkansas Counseling and Mental Health Center found that Scott was competent.