A San Diego man has pleaded guilty to federal charges after twice illegally landing a small airplane on a U.S. Navy airstrip on San Clemente Island, then stealing a Navy truck and causing significant property damage.
Andrew Kyle White, 37, admitted in court to one felony count of theft of government property exceeding $1,000 and one misdemeanor count of illegal entry into a naval installation. He has remained in federal custody since violating his bond by removing his ankle monitor earlier this year.
San Clemente Island is part of Naval Base Coronado and is owned and operated by the U.S. Navy. According to the plea agreement, White was aware that he needed official permission to access the island but traveled there without authorization.
The first incident occurred on October 29, 2023, when White flew a Glastar airplane onto the island’s airstrip without permission. At that time, he received and signed a letter informing him it was a federal crime to visit the island without Navy approval and instructing him not to return.
Despite this warning, on April 6, 2025, White again landed the same aircraft on San Clemente Island without authorization. While there, he stole a white Ford F-150 truck belonging to the U.S. Navy valued at about $16,000. He used the vehicle to drive around the island and damaged locked gates with it to gain further access. The resulting damages and towing costs totaled approximately $8,077.
Navy officials estimate that responding to White’s unauthorized presence required nearly 500 man-hours and resulted in an estimated $500,000 loss for taxpayers (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/san-diego-man-landed-plane-navy-base-stole-truck-pleads-guilty-rcna139789).
“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 has set sentencing for September 29. White faces up to ten years in prison for theft of government property and up to six months for illegal entry into a naval installation.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including investigators from the United States Attorney’s Office with support from Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), FBI, U.S. Navy Security Forces, and San Diego Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorneys Frances S. Lewis (General Crimes Section) and Ian V. Yanniello (Terrorism and Export Crimes Section) are prosecuting.
