Tucson Man Arrested on Two Counts of Aiming a Laser Pointer at Aircraft

There's just no figuring the malicious stupidity of some people... especially when they get a hold of a laser... 

Charles William Preston II, 53, of Tucson, was arrested on March 6, 2024, after a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against him on November 1, 2023. Preston is charged with two counts of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. 

The indictment alleges that on two separate occasions, Preston aimed the beam of a laser pointer at a fixed-wing aircraft operated by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and in the flight path of the same aircraft.

A conviction for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.

FMI: http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/