Cops: Presidential Helo Mechanic In Meth Bust

OCTOBER 18--A mechanic who helps maintain the White House helicopter fleet is facing criminal charges after allegedly calling cops while under the influence of methamphetamine to report that his family was being held captive by three armed invaders, according to a police report.

In response to a 911 call about an armed intruder, eight cops raced last night to the Port St. Lucie, Florida home that Cody Haynes, 30, shares with his girlfriend and the couple’s young daughter.

Upon arriving at the residence, cops were told by Haynes that three “African American masked subjects” had stormed the home hours earlier and held his family hostage for hours. Haynes, seen above, claimed that he was eventually able to escape with his daughter, but believed that his girlfriend “remained inside of the home with the perpetrators.”

A subsequent search revealed the home to be empty and its rooms were intact with “no indication that a struggle had ensued.” Cops did, however, discover meth and assorted drug paraphernalia inside a box in the master bedroom.

Haynes was sweating profusely and his “breathing was slightly labored” when questioned by cops. Asked about the narcotics found, Haynes copped to having earlier smoked meth inside the residence. He claimed that the masked intruders “forced him to smoke methamphetamine for hours and that he was unable to escape any earlier.”

After being handcuffed, Haynes was asked to provide police with his girlfriend’s phone number. When Haynes then activated his cell phone, cops saw that, “a website explaining the effects of hallucination was immediately displayed in the screen.” Haynes then closed the browser and retrieved his girlfriend’s number, which cops used to summon the woman to the home

In an interview, Tara Frew told police that Haynes suffered from anxiety and had recently been using meth “during his time at home.” Frew said that Haynes “mainly works in Maryland,” where he is employed as a helicopter mechanic with Sikorsky Aircraft. She added that Haynes earns more than $150,000 annually and maintains a top secret security clearance “due to his work with the Presidential Helicopter fleet.”

A Sikorsky spokesperson, Paul Jackson, said that Haynes currently works on a Marine Corps helicopter program that is conducting flight tests at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland (home to the Presidential Helicopters Program Office). While Jackson disputed police reports stating that Haynes had worked on Sikorsky’s “presidential program,” he could not provide details on how long Haynes has worked for Sikorsky or to which programs the mechanic has been attached.

Sikorsky, which manufactures helicopters used by the president and top administration officials, is also paid to maintain and repair the small fleet of aircraft.

Police also interviewed Haynes’s father, who lives near his son. Charles Haynes said that Cody showed up last night “in a frantic state” and claimed that someone had broken into his residence. The elder Haynes also told police of his son’s employment with Sikorsky, his security clearance, and his work on presidential helicopters. “Cody’s employment dictates that he spends a great deal of time in Maryland, and returns home to his family when the opportunity presents itself,” cops noted after speaking with Charles.

Haynes was arrested on a felony narcotics possession charge and a misdemeanor count of possessing drug equipment. He was also hit with a felony child neglect charge for allegedly smoking meth while responsible for the care of his daughter.

Haynes was freed on bond following a court hearing today. (3 pages)