U.S. Open drone 'crasher' sentenced to community service

BROOKLYN, NY (WABC) -- The Brooklyn teacher who flew a drone into a U.S. Open match in September has been sentenced.

Public school teacher Daniel Verley, whose model aircraft crashed into an unoccupied area of the tennis stadium, was ordered to perform five days of community service.

District Attorney Richard Brown said, "Our investigation of the incident revealed that Mr. Verley never intended to allow his drone to fly into the stadium."

Apparently Verley lost control of the drone and no one was injured as a result of this incident.

The New York City school teacher fully cooperated with authorities during the investigation of the incident.

He is identified as Daniel Verley, 26, of Jamaica, Queens, who teaches science at the Academy of Innovative Technology in Brooklyn.

The DA went on to say, "I urge hobbyists to use common sense when choosing to employ these unmanned vehicles and strive to not put people at risk."

The teacher is identified as Daniel Verley, 26, of Jamaica, Queens, who teaches science at the Academy of Innovative Technology in Brooklyn.

According to the criminal complaint, Verley, who is also a professional photographer, went to Flushing Meadow-Corona Park at 7:45 p.m. on September 3, 2015.

He wanted to take pictures of the iconic Unisphere using his new 3DR Robotic drone.

On it's second flight the drone crashed into an unoccupied area of the Louis Armstrong Stadium during a U.S. Open match between Flavia Pennetta and Monica Niculescu.

Verley appeared today before Queens Criminal Court Judge Michelle Armstrong and was ordered to perform five days of community service.

He will tutor disenfranchised students to satisfy his sentence.

If Verley satisfactorily completes his community service and lives a law-abiding life the charges against him will be dismissed in six months.