The pilot of the plane that killed Aaliyah, himself, and 7 others Saturday pleaded no contest to cocaine possession, less than two weeks before the crash. Luis Antonio Morales Blanes III did not have federal authorization to fly the plane, authorities said Wednesday.

According to the Broward County Sheriff’s records, 30-year-old Morales drove his car through a stop sign in Pompano Beach, Florida, on August 7, and was pulled over by police. The officer found pieces of crack cocaine and Morales was charged with a felony cocaine-possession. He was also changed with driving with a suspended license and running a stop sign, the records show. The report indicates that Morales told the officer he was in the area to purchase powder cocaine for a friend.

Morales pleaded no contest on August 13 to the cocaine-possession charge. He was given probation for three years. A spokesman for the prosecutors, Ron Ishoy, told the AP that Morales was also sentenced to probation for a charge of trying to peddle $345 worth of stolen airplane parts last year and a theft charge for allegedly stealing a model airplane and tool box.

Under Federal Aviation Administration rules, Morales’ license should have been revoked, said FAA spokesperson Kathleen Bergen, according to MTV. It was not yet taken away, but he was still not allowed to operate the plane. She also said he had not been listed as the pilot for the twin-engine Cessna by Blackhawk International Airways.






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