Wright-Patterson Air Force Base gate-crasher sentenced

Edward J. Novak, 32, of Beavercreek, also will have to comply with mental health counseling and alcohol and chemical substance testing as part of the sentence U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Newman imposed Wednesday.

In February, Novak also pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Dayton to operating a vehicle under the influence, and disorderly conduct in the presence of law enforcement in connection with a Nov. 24, 2015 incident. In exchange for his plea, federal charges of assault, making false alarms, inducing panic, failure to comply with a lawful order, and fleeing and eluding a police officer were dropped.

Cheryll Bennet, a public defender appointed to represent Novak, said an appeal was not planned. “We’re happy with the sentence,” she said after the Wednesday hearing.

Novak, who was not a Wright-Patterson employee or authorized to be on the base, had driven away from Gate 22B near Interstate 675 after a sentry had told him to pull over and wait, authorities have said. In a court appearance in February, assistant U.S. attorney Julienne McCammon said a sentry questioned Novak about his purpose for trying to get on base. Novak told the sentry “it was personal,” McCammon told the judge at the time. “He just needed to speak to leadership.”

Minutes later, Novak entered a door to a restricted access area an employee opened to Building 620, which houses the Air Force Research Laboratory Sensors Directorate. An AFRL employee eventually stopped and questioned Novak because he was not wearing a security badge and he was turned over to base security forces, officials have said.

The incident caused an hourslong evacuation of employees in two AFRL buildings and a shelterin-place order at a nearby child care center.

Police blocked roads on and off the base in Area B while area law enforcement agencies, the FBI