Hughes was arrested last week. He was carrying letters for each member of Congress to raise awareness about the influence of big money in politics. He faces charges of violating national airspace and operating an unregistered aircraft.

He has returned to Ruskin, where is is under house arrest until a May 8 court hearing in Washington.

He says it's now up to the American people to decide whether to "catch the ball that I threw." If they do, he says they can "fix the problem" of corruption in Congress.The letter carrier from Ruskin who caused a full-scale security review in Washington when he violated national airspace by landing his gyrocopter on Capitol Hill expressed frustration Sunday that his message wasn't getting through.

Hughes will check in with his probation officer at the federal courthouse in Tampa. He will be fitted with an ankle monitoring bracelet and begin house arrest. 

He had hoped to raise awareness about the influence of big money in politics by deliberately breaking the law to deliver 535 letters, one for each member of Congress. I

MY NEW HERO! Yes to the GyroCopter! FREE DOUG HUGHES! -

Good for him! He's a true patriot! If Congress won't listen, then by god civil disobedience is in order!

Doug Hughes hand carried 535 letters, one for each member of Congress, telling them that we the people want campaign finance reform. YES!

This is how things get done. Our vote no longer counts with Citizens United as law, so Doug Hughes, you are the man!

http://www.usmessageboard.com/threads/my-new-hero-yes-to-the-gyrocopter-free-doug-hughes.414224/

http://www.wfla.com/story/28826570/tampa-bay-area-residents-show-support-for-ruskin-pilot-who-landed-gyrocopter-on-capitol-lawn

Posted: Apr 17, 2015 1:30 PM

By Galina Tishchenko

gtishchenko at wfla.com

Tampa Bay area residents show support for Ruskin pilot who landed gyrocopter on Capitol lawn

RUSKIN, FL (WFLA) -

Douglas Hughes landed his gyrocopter on the Capitol lawn trying to deliver letters to Congress. His wife Alena says he is a patriot and a law-abiding citizen.

Hughes flew his gyrocopter through the restricted airspace around the National Mall landing it on the West Lawn Wednesday. He was carrying 535 letters to Congress about the campaign finance reform. He was detained and charged with operating an unregistered aircraft and violating national airspace.

Hughes was released from jail but had to give up his passport and is not allowed in Washington DC any more. He is also not allowed to fly.

His wife Alena says she didn't know this could have happened.

"From the public point of view this is very brave," she said in an exclusive interview with WFLA News Channel 8.

But she added that she almost feels betrayed because if something happened to Doug it would have caused "a big grief to the family."

"Law is law," she said. "And he broke the law."

Alena told us she couldn't sleep for two nights and was really worried about her husband. She can't concentrate on anything and just wants him to get home.

"I am his wife and I will support him no matter what," she said.

Alena is from Belarus. She and Doug met online and then had a few dates in Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia before she moved to the US in 2002 and the two got married. They just celebrated their 13th anniversary last weekend.

Alena knew that Doug was very patriotic and interested in politics. He followed the news and was in the know of the current political events. He seemed to have supported President Obama and thought that Congress blocked many of the President's efforts, she said.

Alena said Doug bought the gyrocopter about two years ago and she wasn't very happy about the purchase. She said this wasn't a very good way to spend the family's money. Doug kept the gyrocopter at the Wauchula airport where he worked on it. That's where he likely learned how to fly it.

Alena asked him if he needed a license and he explained that for this type of an aircraft he didn't need anything like that. Alena said he was sure he wasn't doing anything wrong.

Alena said Doug had his own lawyer in Washington and she hired one in Ruskin to represent her. Attorney Paul Carr said that Alena was shocked and in tears when they talked about the situation.

"After discussing the situation with her I didn't see any criminal intent," Carr said. "In fact there's a lot of people that would like to approach Congress."

Hughes is expected to come back to Florida in the next couple of days.

Douglas Hughes had many vocal supporters in Tampa Bay Thursday.

Noel Licor has “Free Doug Hughes” painted on her SUV.

Hughes landed his gyrocopter Wednesday on the Capitol lawn where he hoped to deliver letters to Congress about campaign finance reform. On Thursday Hughes gave up his passport. He's not allowed in Washington, D.C. He's also not allowed to fly.

“It's inspiring,” Licor said. “I would've helped him send those 535 letters to Congress, definitely.”

One person who has not been vocal is Hughes' wife. Ruskin attorney Paul Carr told News Channel 8 Thursday he is representing Hughes' wife.

“She was shocked. She was in tears and she was obviously upset but after discussing the situation with her I didn't see any criminal intent. In fact there's a lot of people that would like to approach Congress,” Carr said.

“There was no intent to commit any crime. The man's not a terrorist. It's a situation that he wanted to simply to reach out to congress like many of us would like to do. He just did it in a very unusual way.  I think we can all agree to that,” he added. 
Carr said Hughes was traveling back to Ruskin as early as Thursday evening.