A Bakersfield man has pleaded guilty to striking a Sheriff helicopter with a laser, putting the lives of pilots at risk.
Brett Curtis Hair, 23, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced.
On September 11, 2024, at approximately 12:17 a.m., Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter Air 1 was on routine patrol when the cockpit was struck by a bright green laser beam.
According to court documents, the Tactical Flight Officer pinpointed the source of the laser emanating from a residence within the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Critical Flight Zone of Bakersfield’s Meadow Field Airport.
At least 15 additional laser strikes appeared to be intentional as the light tracked and struck the helicopter.
The pilot and Tactical Flight Officer experienced visual interference as the laser repeatedly struck and illuminated the cockpit, making it difficult to see the aircraft’s instruments.
Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety risk, because many high-powered lasers can incapacitate pilots and interfere with the safe operation of their aircraft.
In 2024, pilots reported 12,840 laser strikes to the FAA.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Hair is scheduled for sentencing on August 4, 2025.
He faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The actual sentence will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Related Federal Cases
- Asarel Felix Lombera, Laser-Induced Aircraft Disruption, California 2015 · California
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- Chance Brannon, Xavier Batten, Tibet Ergul, Molotov Cocktail Attack, California 2023 · Michigan
- Alexander Milinovic, Unsafe Operation of Unmanned Aircraft, California 2022 · Texas
- Teranee Millet, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Destructive Device, California 2023 · California
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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