NEWSROOM |
|
|
|
|||
By Mike Mitchell |
||||
January 26, 2010 -
Gerard Sasso of
Gerard Sasso was
convicted of one count of willfully interfering with an aircraft
operator with reckless disregard for human life, and one count of making
false statements. SASSO is the second person in the country to be
convicted of lasering an aircraft in violation of 18 USC § 32(a)(5). |
||||
The evidence introduced at trial showed that on December 8, 2007, a
State Police helicopter was escorting an LNG tanker through
The pilots viewed the laser beam as a potential threat to themselves, to
the LNG tanker, and to planes landing at nearby
|
The laser used by
Sasso is classified by the Food and Drug Administration as a Class IIIb
laser, which is a type of laser designed only for light shows and
industrial and research applications, not for use as a laser pointer or
amusement device. It is at least five to ten times more powerful than an
ordinary laser pointer and has a range of at least two miles.
The Honorable
Joseph L. Tauro scheduled a sentencing hearing for April 29, 2010. The
charge of interfering with the operation of an aircraft carries a
maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, a five-year term of
supervised release and a $250,000 fine. The charge of making false
statements carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment, a
three-year term of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
The case was
investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, of which the
Transportation Security Administration is a member, as well as by the
Massachusetts State Police and Medford Police Department. It is being
prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys William D. Weinreb and Donald L.
Cabell of Ortiz’s National Security and Antiterrorism Unit. |
©AvStop Online Magazine Contact Us Return To News |
|