49 U.S.C. § 46317 — Criminal penalty for pilots operating in air transportation without an airman’s certificate

(a) General Criminal Penalty. An individual is fined under title 18, or imprisoned up to 3 years, or both, if they (1) knowingly and willfully serve or try to serve as an airman flying an aircraft in air transportation without the certificate that authorizes that role; or (2) knowingly and willfully hire or use, as an airman flying an aircraft in air transportation, someone who lacks that certificate.

(b) Controlled Substance Criminal Penalty. (1) In this subsection, "controlled substance" has the meaning given in the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970. This section does not further define the term. (2) An individual who violates (a) is fined under title 18, or imprisoned up to 5 years, or both, if the violation relates to transporting a controlled substance by aircraft, or to helping such transport, and that conduct (A) is punishable by death or more than a year in prison under federal or state law, or (B) relates to an act punishable that way under a drug law, other than a law about simple possession as used in section 46306(c). (3) A prison term imposed under (2) must be served separately from — not at the same time as — any other prison term.