FCC Warns Jack Gerritsen Over Alleged Unlicensed Ham Radio Operation in Los Angeles
The Federal Communications Commission has issued a new warning to Jack Gerritsen, a longtime figure in Southern California amateur radio enforcement history, after FCC agents traced an alleged unlicensed amateur radio transmission to his Bell, California, location.
In a Notice of Unlicensed Operation dated May 28, 2026, the FCC Enforcement Bureau said it received multiple complaints from licensed amateur radio operators about an unlicensed station operating on 146.415 MHz in the Los Angeles area. According to the FCC, the transmissions were causing harmful interference to licensed amateur operators.
FCC agents from the Los Angeles Office investigated the complaints on March 4 and March 6, 2026. Using direction-finding equipment, agents determined that the transmissions on 146.415 MHz were coming from Gerritsen’s location in Bell.
The notice also states that on March 4, agents heard the operator make statements over the air, including “Jack is back,” which the FCC said identified Gerritsen as the operator.
According to the agency, Gerritsen does not currently hold an amateur radio license and is not authorized to operate on 146.415 MHz.
FCC Orders Unauthorized Operation to Stop
The FCC warned Gerritsen that radio stations, including those operating on amateur radio frequencies, must be licensed by the Commission unless they fall under the limited rules for unlicensed devices under Part 15.
The agency said the station heard on 146.415 MHz was operating at a power level exceeding that permitted for unlicensed Part 15 devices. The FCC concluded that the operation violated the Communications Act and Commission rules.
Gerritsen was ordered to immediately stop the unauthorized operation and not resume transmitting. The FCC also warned that continued unauthorized operation could result in substantial monetary penalties, seizure of equipment, and criminal sanctions.
The notice gives Gerritsen 10 days from the date of the notice to respond to the FCC and describe what actions are being taken to prevent future unauthorized operation.
A Familiar Name in Southern California Radio Enforcement
For many longtime amateur radio operators and scanner listeners in Southern California, Gerritsen’s name is familiar.
Gerritsen, formerly associated with the amateur radio call sign KG6IRO, has a long history of unauthorized radio transmissions, interference complaints, FCC enforcement actions, and criminal prosecutions.
According to earlier FCC records, Gerritsen was granted an amateur radio station license, KG6IRO, in November 2001. The FCC later set aside that license grant and dismissed his application. The Commission informed Gerritsen that he had no authority to operate radio transmitting equipment and that doing so could subject him to monetary penalties and imprisonment.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals later described Gerritsen as an amateur radio enthusiast with “a history of transmitting illegal radio broadcasts.” The court noted that Gerritsen had been convicted in California state court in 2000 for interfering with police radio communications and had spent time in state prison for that offense.
A 2005 U.S. Attorney’s Office press release stated that Gerritsen had been sentenced to 38 months in prison in the earlier state case and was released in July 2003. The Ninth Circuit later described him as having spent a year in state prison for that offense.
Prior FCC Fines and Federal Conviction
Gerritsen also faced major FCC enforcement action in the mid-2000s.
In 2005, the FCC issued a $21,000 forfeiture order against him after finding that he had willfully and maliciously interfered with radio communications involving a Coast Guard Auxiliary officer who was attempting to contact a sailing vessel in distress near Catalina Island.
Federal prosecutors later charged Gerritsen in a separate case involving unauthorized transmissions and radio interference. In 2006, he was sentenced in federal court to seven years in prison and fined $15,225 after being convicted on counts that included transmitting without a license and willful and malicious interference with radio communications.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed his federal conviction in 2009.
Why Radio Monitors Should Pay Attention
The FCC’s new notice is important because it involves a familiar pattern for Southern California radio users: alleged unauthorized transmissions on amateur frequencies and interference to licensed operators.
The amateur radio bands are shared spectrum. They are used for routine communications, repeaters, emergency preparedness, technical experimentation, public service events, and emergency communications. Unauthorized operation and intentional interference can disrupt lawful users and, in some cases, affect communications with public safety value.
The case is also a reminder that FCC enforcement often begins with reports from the radio community. In this instance, the FCC said it received multiple complaints, conducted field monitoring, used direction-finding techniques, and traced the signal to Gerritsen’s location.
For scanner listeners, the case is another example of why radio enforcement still matters. Even as many public safety systems move to digital trunking, encryption, and broadband-based communications, interference and unauthorized transmissions remain real issues across the radio spectrum.
Scanner listeners may not transmit, but many are also licensed amateur radio operators. They understand how disruptive interference can be, especially on local repeaters and simplex channels used by the amateur community.
Bottom Line
The FCC’s May 28 notice does not announce a new fine or criminal charge. It is a formal warning stating that unauthorized operation on 146.415 MHz was traced to Gerritsen’s location and must stop immediately.
Given Gerritsen’s previous history with the FCC, state court, and federal court, the notice is likely to draw attention from amateur radio operators and scanner listeners across Southern California.
For now, the FCC has ordered the alleged unauthorized operation to stop and has given Gerritsen 10 days to respond.
Source links:
- FCC Notice of Unlicensed Operation, May 28, 2026 — says FCC agents traced 146.415 MHz transmissions to Gerritsen’s location, heard “Jack is back,” and found no current amateur license.
- FCC 2005 forfeiture order — discusses the KG6IRO license being set aside, warnings that Gerritsen had no authority to transmit, and the $21,000 forfeiture involving interference with Coast Guard-related emergency communications.
- U.S. Attorney’s Office 2005 release — states Gerritsen had been sentenced to 38 months in state prison and released in July 2003.
- Ninth Circuit opinion — describes Gerritsen’s prior state conviction, says he spent a year in state prison, and affirms the later federal conviction.
- Metropolitan News-Enterprise 2006 sentencing report — reports the seven-year federal sentence and $15,225 fine.
