Arkansas teen admits trying to steal jet to go to rap concert

Zemarcuis Devon Scott (Photo via Texarkana Gazette)
Zemarcuis Devon Scott (Photo via Texarkana Gazette)

TEXARKANA -- An 18-year-old man arrested July 4 after attempting to steal a commercial jet to fly to a rap concert pleaded guilty Thursday and received a five-year term of felony probation.

Zemarcuis Scott appeared before Circuit Judge Carlton Jones late Thursday afternoon with Managing Public Defender Jason Mitchell and pleaded guilty to attempted theft of property and commercial burglary.

Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chuck Black said Scott received five years of probation on each charge, to run concurrently. Scott must pay a $1,000 fine, court costs and participate in any mental health treatment deemed necessary by the probation department. Black said Scott is not allowed on Texarkana Regional Airport property while he's on probation.

Scott intended to take an American Eagle twin-engine jet from Texarkana Regional Airport in the early hours of Independence Day to see rapper Famous Dex perform in Illinois, according to a probable cause affidavit and psychological evaluation report.

Airport security personnel had noticed Scott jump a fence onto the property about 2:30 a.m. and immediately called police.

When Texarkana police officers arrived, Scott was sitting in the pilot's seat of the small commercial plane.

Scott told investigators that he wasn't concerned about his lack of training as a pilot and believed that operating the aircraft was just a matter of pulling levers and pushing buttons.

He also told investigators that he had been thinking about stealing a plane for about a month and had been watching the twin-engine jet since 10 p.m. July 3.

At a hearing in August at which Scott pleaded innocent to attempted commercial burglary and attempted theft of property, Mitchell asked the court to order a mental evaluation for Scott to determine if he was competent to stand trial.

In a report filed Dec. 21 in Miller County, a psychologist with Southwest Arkansas Counseling and Mental Health Center found that Scott is competent.

State Desk on 01/27/2019

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