Las Vegas, NV (Department of Justice) - A Las Vegas man has been sentenced to nine months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for pointing a high-power laser at a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department helicopter as it was responding to a call in 2025.
The government had requested a sentence of 21 months.
According to court documents, on January 2, 2025, Sergio Sanchez aimed the beam of a green laser pointer at a Metro helicopter several times as the helicopter was providing aerial support for officers on the ground. When the laser struck the aircraft, the pilot had to shield his eyes and divert from its assignment and flight path.
Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft.
“Pointing a laser into the sky is not a harmless joke,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office. “Pointing one at a police helicopter is a direct threat to the safety of the pilot, the passengers, and everyone on the ground below. High-powered laser beams can instantly impair a pilot's vision during the most critical phases of flight, turning a routine mission into a potential catastrophe. The FBI will use every available resource to track the illegal use of lasers back to their source. If you aim a laser at an aircraft, expect us to come knocking at your door.”
