A man was charged Friday with flying a drone over M&T Bank Stadium during the AFC wild-card matchup between the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, which led officials to momentarily stop the game.

Alexis Perez Suarez, 43, of Baltimore, faces three counts in U.S. District Court in Baltimore stemming from allegations that he operated a drone over the stadium Jan. 11 despite a temporary flight restriction. Law enforcement also claims he neither registered the drone nor obtained a remote pilot license.

Referees stopped the game for a few minutes, before the Steelers ran a play on second-and-1 in the third quarter. The Ravens won 28-14 but fell the next weekend to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round.

Suarez made his initial appearance after 4 p.m. in front of U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles D. Austin, who ordered him to be released pending trial. He must remain in Maryland but can travel to Virginia and Washington for work.

“Good luck to you, Mr. Perez Suarez,” Austin said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Goldaris requested that Suarez be prohibited from possessing and operating a drone or unmanned aircraft while he awaits trial.

Suarez’s attorney, Assistant Federal Public Defender Christina Wong, said her client would consent to that condition.

In a statement, Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek Barron said, “We are very serious about temporary flight restrictions.”

“You will be charged and held accountable for any incursion into restricted airspace, including around sports and entertainment venues such as the Super Bowl,” Barron said.

During a temporary flight restriction, certain aircraft including drones are banned from operating within 3-nautical-mile radius of a stadium. They’re standard practice during sporting events.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, FBI agents and Maryland state troopers tracked the movement of the drone and identified Suarez as the operator.

“If you are going to fly a drone, you are responsible for learning all the laws and requirements to responsibly operate it,” said William DelBagno, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office, in a statement. “Failing to do so will not excuse you from the consequences of breaking the law.”

Last year, a man pleaded guilty to knowingly or willfully violating U.S. national defense airspace by flying a drone over M&T Bank Stadium during the AFC championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He was sentenced to spend one year on probation and ordered to pay a $500 fine.

The National Football League has spent money lobbying for safety laws and reported that during the 2023 season there were 2,845 drone incursions.