Man gets federal prison time in laser pointer case

A Henderson man was sentenced to two years in federal prison Tuesday for pointing a powerful laser at Las Vegas police helicopters earlier this year.

James Zipf, 30, also was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and undergo substance abuse and mental health treatment after prison.

U.S. District Judge Miranda Du described Zipf’s conduct as “extremely serious” and said she hoped the prison time would deter others from doing what he did.

Federal prosecutors pushed for the two years behind bars.

Zipf apologized to the Metropolitan Police Department and said he felt “terrible” for putting the lives of those aboard the helicopters in jeopardy.

He told Du he was a methamphetamine addict for 11 years but has been “clean” for seven months and is thinking much clearer now.

Zipf, who is free on his own recognizance, must surrender to federal prison authorities on Dec. 30.

He pleaded guilty in June to one of six felony counts of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. The other five counts will be dismissed as part of his plea agreement with federal prosecutors.

Zipf was indicted by a federal grand jury in February in a half-dozen laser strikes between Jan. 31 and Feb. 12.

Prosecutors said Zipf endangered those aboard the aircraft. In one attack the pilot became so disoriented that he had to land and end his shift.

Zipf, who moved to Henderson from Phoenix last year, was convicted in 2011 for pointing a similar blue laser at police helicopters there.

The Las Vegas charges are part of a federal law enacted by Congress in 2012 and come amid a national campaign by the FBI to curb the rising number of laser strikes on aircraft.

Since 2010, the Federal Aviation Administration has ranked Las Vegas among the top 10 American cities where pilots are reporting laser strikes. There were 94 reports in 2013, ranking Las Vegas sixth.

Contact reporter Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Follow him on Twitter @JGermanRJ.