Las Vegas man sentenced to prison for pointing laser light at aircraft
A Las Vegas man who pointed a green laser light at aircraft landing at McCarran International Airport was sentenced to eight months in prison on Tuesday.
Michael Viera-Crespo, Jr., 28, pleaded guilty in March to attempted destruction of an aircraft stemming from the August 2011 incident.
"These powerful lasers have the potential to harm a pilot's vision and affect their ability to safely operate an aircraft," Nevada U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said. "We take these cases seriously because of the potential for harm and the risk posed by such criminal conduct to pilots, their passengers and the public."
Viera-Crespo, who has been in custody since his March arrest, acknowledged in his plea agreement that he pointed the laser light into the cockpit of at least three commercial aircraft, prosecutors said.
When Las Vegas police sent a helicopter to look for the culprit, Viera-Crespo pointed his laser light at that aircraft too, prosecutors said.
Laser-pointing incidents involving aircraft have risen dramatically in the last several years, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135.
