The mailman from Florida who landed a gyrocopter – or, as he put it, “a flying bicycle” – on the  U.S. Capitol’s West Front lawn was charged in federal court today. The charges against him were read by the judge: violating national air defense space and operating an aircraft not properly registered.

Doug Hughes arrived in the courtroom wearing a U.S. Postal Service uniform and wearing court earphones to assist his hearing. The maximum sentence he receives could be fines of an unknown amount and four years in prison.

Hughes intent of the committing the stunt – which he openly planned for a couple years – was to raise awareness around campaign finance reform. He says corruption throughout the U.S. Government is high, and much of this has to do with the virtually unlimited amounts of money in the system. Hughes says he attempted to contact security authorities about his plan, but at least one representative of the Secret Service says he organization was not notified.

The judge released the 61 year old from Ruskin, Florida on his own recognizance but with conditions: He must go to Tampa once a week to check in with pretrial services, he must “stay away” from any type of aircraft, and he cannot leave his Florida home. He asked, with demonstrated worry, whether he will be able to work but she did not answer in the public setting of the courtroom.

He was back in the custody of the U.S. Marshal after the hearing but was to be released later today. Hi next appearance in court – in Washington, D.C., is scheduled for May 8.