SB QST @ ARL $ARLB031
ARLB031 Florida man arrested for interference to hams, unlicensed
operation

ZCZC AG31
QST de W1AW  
ARRL Bulletin 31  ARLB031
From ARRL Headquarters  
Newington CT  July 25, 2000
To all radio amateurs 

SB QST ARL ARLB031
ARLB031 Florida man arrested for interference to hams, unlicensed
operation

Federal authorities have arrested a Florida man and charged him with
interfering with Amateur Radio operations and transmitting without a
license. William Flippo of Jupiter was taken into custody July 20.

Flippo already faces a $20,000 fine levied last summer for
unlicensed operation, willful and malicious interference to Amateur
Radio communications, and failure to let the FCC inspect his radio
equipment. The matter was referred to the US Attorney in January
after Flippo failed to pay the fine, and the interference complaints
continued.

Armed with a search warrant, federal marshals and FCC and FBI
agents, accompanied by local authorities, took Flippo into custody.
FCC agents seized items related to the alleged offenses, including
radio equipment.

Flippo was released on a $100,000 bond. An arraignment on the
federal charges is scheduled for July 31. One condition of his
release is that he not make any radio transmissions.

Flippo was charged with four counts of transmitting without a
license--each count carrying a maximum penalty of one year in prison
and a $10,000 fine--and four counts of interfering with the
operations of licensed stations, which carry the same penalty.
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