26-year-old Brett Lee Scott will go to prison for almost two years after accepting a plea deal in the crime of pointing a laser at a police helicopter. Scott explained why he did it: He was bored.
Laser pointers aimed at air vehicles is becoming an increasing problem in the United States. Arstechnica reported that there have been more than 17,000 laser strikes since the FBI began keeping records in 2005. The amount of these attacks is also increasing, with 9.5 incidents reportedly occurring every day.
From Arstechnica
The same prosecutors in the Eastern District of California got a sentence of 14 years earlier this year in another laser case, believed to be the harshest such sentence for a laser strike case anywhere in the nation and perhaps the world.
The Scott case marks the ninth such sentence coming from the Eastern District of California centered in Fresno County since 2007. Combined with an additional 20 state convictions from this region, this federal district alone constitutes approximately 35 percent of the only 80 total laser strike convictions nationwide—state and federal—since the FBI began keeping track a decade ago.
“This is a truly senseless crime—and a very serious one,” said Benjamin Wagner, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of California. “Defendants like Mr. Scott, who thoughtlessly point lasers at an aircraft for their short-sighted amusement, put lives at risk and create the very real possibility that a needless tragedy will occur. My office will continue to prosecute these cases vigorously and will work with the FBI and our local law enforcement partners to send the message that this behavior will not be tolerated.”
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