OAKLAND, CA – September 12, 2026 (STL.News) Two Oakland Police Department helicopter pilots have been indicted on federal charges alleging they conspired with a Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector to obtain pilot certifications through fraudulent flight-test records, according to a federal indictment and court records.
Oakland police officers Brandon Mart and David Mac, both members of the department’s Air Support Unit, are accused of participating in a scheme involving FAA-required “checkrides” between approximately July 2023 and March 2024.
Prosecutors also indicted a third defendant, William Miller, whom they identify as an FAA aviation safety inspector.
Federal prosecutors allege fraudulent documents were submitted concerning at least four separate checkrides, ultimately resulting in Mart receiving three certifications and Mac receiving one certification that the government alleges were fraudulently obtained.
The three defendants have pleaded not guilty. The allegations contained in an indictment are accusations, not findings of guilt, and all three defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Federal indictment targets alleged FAA certification scheme
The case centers on FAA checkrides, practical examinations pilots generally must successfully complete when seeking certain pilot certificates or ratings.
A checkride is substantially more than paperwork.
The examination can involve an oral component testing a pilot’s knowledge of subjects such as aviation regulations, aircraft systems, and weather, followed by a practical flight examination requiring the applicant to demonstrate proficiency in aircraft operations.
Depending on the certification or rating sought, the flight portion can include takeoffs, landings, emergency procedures and other required maneuvers.
Miller allegedly had authority as an FAA aviation safety inspector to conduct checkrides and approve certifications.
Federal prosecutors contend Mart, Mac and Miller instead conspired to create records representing that required examinations had been performed when, in certain instances, the government’s evidence allegedly indicates otherwise.
According to the indictment as described in court records and multiple reports, the conspiracy involved fraudulent documents associated with at least four checkrides.
Prosecutors allege those records resulted in three certifications for Mart and one for Mac that the government contends should not have been issued.
Helicopter allegedly never left the ground
One of the government’s most striking allegations involves a purported February 2024 checkride associated with Mac.
According to the indictment, records represented that the required examination occurred, but evidence cited by investigators allegedly showed that the helicopter involved never left the ground.
In another instance involving Mart, prosecutors allege documentation indicated that a checkride took place in California while digital evidence placed Miller in Lakeland, Florida.
Those allegations could become important evidence because they could allow prosecutors to compare official certification paperwork with independent records such as aircraft movement information, digital timestamps, and police flight records.
Prosecutors also allege that Mart received a temporary helicopter airman certificate from Miller after a checkride without completing all the maneuvers required for the examination.
The government will ultimately have to prove its allegations in court.
Charges differ among the three defendants
Although all three defendants are accused of participating in the alleged conspiracy, they face different charges.
Mart faces a conspiracy charge, three counts of FAA registration fraud, and two counts of obstruction of justice by falsification of records.
The obstruction allegations are particularly serious. The obstruction offense carries a potential statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison if Mart is convicted, although a maximum statutory penalty should not be confused with the sentence a defendant would necessarily receive.
Federal sentencing can depend on numerous factors, including federal sentencing guidelines, criminal history, the circumstances surrounding an offense, and the sentencing judge’s decisions.
Mac faces the conspiracy charge and one count of FAA registration fraud.
Miller faces the conspiracy charge and four FAA registration fraud counts, according to reports describing the indictment.
A federal grand jury returned the indictment on Aug. 27, 2026, but the case became public after the indictment was unsealed in connection with the defendants’ Sept. 10 court appearances.
All three defendants plead not guilty
Mart, Mac and Miller appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in Oakland and entered not-guilty pleas.
The case therefore remains in its early stages.
Court proceedings will provide the defendants opportunities to challenge the government’s evidence, seek dismissal or suppression where legally appropriate, and ultimately take the case to trial if it is not otherwise resolved.
Reports differ on the precise description of the defendants’ release bonds, but court coverage agrees that the defendants were released rather than being held in federal custody.
They are expected to return to federal court for a status conference on Nov. 30.
Alleged obstruction expands case beyond checkrides
The obstruction allegations against Mart introduce another significant dimension to the prosecution.
The government isn’t merely alleging that Mart used improper paperwork to obtain FAA credentials. Prosecutors also accuse Mart of falsifying records to obstruct the federal investigation.
That distinction matters.
The certification allegations concern conduct allegedly used to obtain FAA credentials. The obstruction charges concern alleged conduct connected to what happened after federal scrutiny of the matter began.
Details in subsequent court filings could reveal more about which records investigators believe were altered, when the alleged alterations occurred, and how prosecutors contend those actions affected, or were intended to affect, the investigation.
At this stage, however, those remain allegations that prosecutors must prove.
Oakland places pilots on administrative leave
Oakland Police Chief James Beere said the department learned about the indictment on Thursday and placed the two officers on administrative leave.
Beere said OPD is cooperating with outside law enforcement agencies investigating the allegations.
The chief also emphasized the additional responsibility placed upon police officers because of their positions of public trust.
The department has not publicly disclosed extensive details about any separate internal administrative investigation, citing the ongoing personnel matter.
Placing an officer on administrative leave does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing.
Why FAA checkrides matter
The allegations carry significance beyond whether paperwork was completed correctly.
Pilot certification requirements are central to the federal aviation safety system.
FAA certificates and ratings provide a standardized way to establish that pilots have demonstrated the knowledge and practical skills required for particular types of aircraft and operations.
That becomes especially consequential when aircraft are operated by public agencies.
Police helicopters can be used for searches, suspect tracking, missing-person investigations, surveillance, support of officers on the ground and other public-safety missions.
Operating a helicopter requires specialized skills, and emergency or law-enforcement operations can create additional operational demands.
The indictment does not itself establish that either officer was incapable of safely operating a helicopter, nor does an allegation that a certification was fraudulently obtained automatically establish that a particular police flight was unsafe.
Those are separate questions.
The federal case instead focuses on whether required FAA certification procedures were circumvented and whether false documents were submitted to make it appear that requirements had been satisfied.
No allegation that money changed hands
Another important distinction is what prosecutors have not publicly alleged.
Available reporting on the indictment does not indicate that Mart or Mac paid Miller a bribe or that the alleged conspiracy involved an exchange of money.
The alleged benefit instead concerned obtaining FAA pilot credentials without legitimately satisfying all of the certification requirements described in the associated documentation.
That makes the case different from a conventional public-corruption prosecution built around alleged kickbacks or bribery.
The central allegations concern certification integrity, false documentation and, in Mart’s case, alleged obstruction.
Case arrives during critical period for Oakland police
The federal prosecution also comes at a critical time for the Oakland Police Department.
OPD has spent roughly 23 years under federal court oversight stemming from the Oakland Riders civil-rights scandal.
The long-running oversight process followed allegations involving officers who were accused of misconduct that included planting evidence, falsifying reports, and abusing suspects.
Oakland has worked for years to demonstrate compliance with court-ordered reforms.
Earlier in 2026, the department appeared to be nearing the end of that extraordinary period of federal supervision after its federal monitor reported progress toward meeting reform requirements.
A federal court hearing concerning the department’s oversight status is scheduled for Sept. 29.
The timing does not mean the newly indicted officers’ criminal case will necessarily determine whether federal oversight ends. The criminal prosecution and the court-supervision process are distinct matters.
However, allegations involving falsification and police integrity could attract additional scrutiny because accountability and institutional credibility have been central issues throughout Oakland’s lengthy reform process.
Independent records could become important evidence
One of the most notable aspects of the prosecution is the apparent availability of records that can potentially be compared against the certification documents.
If prosecutors contend a checkride occurred at a particular place and time, aircraft tracking information, department flight records, electronic communications, travel records and digital timestamps could potentially corroborate or contradict that representation.
ABC7 reported that prosecutors cited text messages, flight-tracking information and department records in connection with the investigation.
That type of evidence could become particularly important if the case proceeds toward trial.
The defense, meanwhile, will have an opportunity to challenge how the government interpreted those records, whether the records are complete and whether the evidence actually proves the defendants knowingly participated in a criminal conspiracy.
Questions remain unanswered
Despite the detailed allegations that have emerged, several important questions remain.
Federal authorities have not yet publicly established how they initially discovered the alleged irregularities.
It also remains to be seen whether investigators will examine additional certifications or checkrides beyond the four specifically identified in the allegations, whether other pilots had certification dealings with Miller, or whether the investigation could result in additional charges.
There also could be administrative consequences separate from the criminal prosecution.
FAA enforcement proceedings and police personnel actions operate under standards and procedures different from those governing a federal criminal trial.
Additional court filings may provide more detail on which certifications were obtained, what each defendant allegedly did during each transaction, and how investigators reconstructed the alleged scheme.
What happens next
The next significant publicly reported court date is the Nov. 30 status conference.
Before then, prosecutors are expected to provide discovery materials to defense attorneys, potentially including documents, electronic communications and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Defense attorneys will have an opportunity to review that evidence and determine whether to file pretrial motions.
Mart’s attorney, Michael Rains, told KTVU that he was awaiting discovery from prosecutors and therefore could not yet substantively comment on the government’s case.
The prosecution is significant because it combines allegations involving federal aviation regulation with questions about the conduct of law-enforcement officers entrusted with operating police aircraft.
But the legal posture remains straightforward: a federal grand jury has returned criminal charges, not convictions.
Mart, Mac, and Miller have each pleaded not guilty, and prosecutors must prove every element of the charged offenses beyond a reasonable doubt.
Until that happens, Brandon Mart, David Mac, and William Miller are presumed innocent.
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