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A Georgia resident is facing federal charges after being accused of pointing a powerful laser pointer at commercial aircraft near a major airport. If convicted, the suspect could spend several years in prison and face steep fines.
A U.S. District Court grand jury indicted Roger Floyd Hendricks on three counts of pointing lasers at commercial flights. (iStock)
A U.S. District Court grand jury indicted Roger Floyd Hendricks on three counts of pointing lasers at commercial flights, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Georgia. Authorities said each count carries a possible sentence of up to five years in prison.
Hendricks is also facing “substantial fines” for each count, and would not be eligible for parole if convicted and imprisoned.
Authorities have accused Hendricks of using a green laser to strike airplanes as they approached the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport on three different occasions. The first two incidents occurred in November and December of 2019; the third took place in January of 2020.
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The Federal Aviation Administration reportedly contacted the FBI in February, and they began an investigation into the laser strikes.
“Pointing a laser at an aircraft is not a prank; it’s incredibly dangerous and stupid," reads a statement attributed to U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. "The FBI did an outstanding job of locating and stopping this threat to hundreds of Savannah air travelers.”
Chris Hacker, special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, added, “Aiming a laser at an airplane is not a game, it’s a federal felony and something the FBI takes very seriously. These alleged actions placed the lives of innocent air travelers and commercial airline crews in danger and must be prosecuted.”
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The FBI has previously stated that lasers, when pointed at an aircraft, can interfere with pilots' visibility, and even potentially "down an aircraft."
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