Three men who jumped with parachutes from the top of One World Trade Center in New York have been convicted of criminal charges.

On Monday, a Manhattan jury found James Brady, 33, Andrew Rossig, 34, and Marko Markovich, 28, guilty of reckless endangerment, reckless endangerment of property and unauthorised climbing, jumping, and suspending oneself from a structure.

They were cleared of the most serious charge of burglary; but the trio can still face up to a year in prison. They are to be sentenced in August.

Timothy Parlatore, a lawyer for Rossig said: “The district attorney’s office has wasted a significant amount of time and a significant amount of taxpayer’s dollars to turn a misdemeanour case into a felony.”

According to prosecutors, in September 2013, the men snuck through a gap in the construction fence at the then-unfinished One World Trade Center. The daredevils then jumped from the top of the 104-storey building – a height of over 500 metres.

Their leap was caught on security cameras which showed at least two figures in black suits and helmets, landing and making their escape on foot.