San Diego Man Who Twice Illegally Landed Airplane on Navy Base, Stole Truck and Damaged Gates Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges

LOS ANGELES - A San Diego man pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges and admitted that he twice illegally landed a small airplane on a United States Navy airstrip on San Clemente Island, then stole a Navy truck and used it to damage gates on the island, causing thousands of dollars in damage.

Andrew Kyle White, 37, pleaded guilty to one felony count of theft of government property in excess of $1,000 and one misdemeanor count of illegal entry into a naval installation. White has been in federal custody after he violated the terms of his bond by cutting off his ankle bracelet earlier this year.

San Clemente Island is owned and operated by the U.S. Navy and is part of Naval Base Coronado. According to White's plea agreement, White knew it was illegal to travel to or access San Clemente Island without first obtaining permission from the Navy or a government official with authority to grant such access.

On October 29, 2023, White flew a Glastar airplane to San Clemente Island and landed the plane on a U.S. Navy airstrip without the Navy's permission. At the time, White received, acknowledged, and signed a letter that notified him that it was a federal crime to travel to San Clemente Island without the Navy's permission and instructed him not to return to the island.

On April 6, 2025, White again flew the Glastar airplane to San Clemente Island and landed it on a naval airstrip without permission. While on the island, White stole a white Ford F-150 truck worth approximately $16,000 and which was the property of the U.S. Navy.

After stealing the truck, White drove it to various locations on San Clemente Island, including locations that were blocked by locked gates. To gain access to those locations, White used the truck to damage the gates, causing approximately $8,077 in damages and costs to tow the truck.

Navy officials estimate that White's intrusion onto the base cost nearly 500 man-hours and resulted in a $500,000 loss to the American taxpayer.

"Whatever [White's] intentions were, the military did not know them; they responded as one might expect the military to respond to an unknown threat: they assumed the worst," prosecutors argued in court documents. "The island went on a complete lockdown. Personnel engaged in a highly dangerous mission to locate the unknown intruder(s) notwithstanding the dangers they were exposing themselves too, from the weather, the terrain, and the potential unexploded ordnances that could have been underfoot in that area."

United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II scheduled a September 29 sentencing hearing, at which time White will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for theft of government property and up to six months in federal prison for illegally entering a naval installation.

United States Attorney's Office Investigators investigated this matter with assistance from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI, the U.S. Navy Security Forces, and the San Diego Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorneys Frances S. Lewis of the General Crimes Section and Ian V. Yanniello of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.