=20 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- This article was sent to you by someone who found it on SFGate. The original article can be found on SFGate.com here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/n/a/2006/12/05/internatio= nal/i103746S62.DTL --------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday, December 5, 2006 (AP) Brazil Releases Passports of U.S. Pilots (12-05) 10:47 PST RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -- The Brazilian government has released the passports of two American pilo= ts involved in a Sept. 29 collision between an executive jet and a Gol airlines Boeing 737 that crashed in the Amazon jungle and killed 154 people. The Federal Regional Court of the First Region of Brasilia announced that it unanimously agreed to return Joseph Lepore, 42, of Bay Shore, and Jan Paladino, 34, of Westhampton Beach. The two can pick up their passsports in 72 hours and leave the country. The two must agree to return to Brazil for further inquiry and judicial action, the court said on its Web site. Federal judge Candido Ribeiro said there was no legal grounds for "restricting the freedom of motion of the foreigners." Brazil is pursing the case to determine what caused the crash, the worst in Brazilian history. The Embraer Legacy jet was owned by ExcelAire of Ronkonkoma, N.Y., which did not immediately comment on the release. "I heard the general terms of ruling but have no specific knowlegde of i= t, so I'm not in position to comment on it at this time," said the company's attorney Robert Torricella. He said they expect to release a statement later and that pilots are not likely to talk to the press prior to leaving the country. --------------------------------------------------------------= -------- Copyright 2006 AP