A local YouTube creator is sentenced to two years of probation, including two months of home confinement, for illegally filming Marine Corps Base Camp Blaz with a drone.

Billy Cao Cruz, known to his 9,000 subscribers as “Benny” of the channel “Planet Guam,” pleaded guilty to violating national airspace after posting aerial video of the base. 

The clip amassed about 12,000 views before being removed.

District Court Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood called the crime serious, but noted Cruz's channel is also highlighting homelessness and community stories. 

His attorney argued Cruz has turned his life around after serving decades in prison for a 1995 manslaughter conviction.

Prosecutors pushed for home detention, saying posting military footage could aid adversaries. The judge agreed, imposing electronic monitoring but allowing Cruz to continue producing content, so long as he works with his probation officer.

Cruz apologized in court, promising never to film military installations again.

And when the judge wished him well with his channel, Cruz had one final request, “Please subscribe.”