Tucson Man Charged with Aiming Laser Pointer at Aircraft
In a disturbing incident, Charles William Preston II, 53, of Tucson, Arizona, has been arrested and charged with two counts of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. The arrest was made on March 6, 2024, following a federal grand jury indictment on November 1, 2023.
According to the indictment, Preston aimed the beam of a laser pointer at a fixed-wing aircraft operated by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department on two separate occasions. The aircraft was in flight when the laser was directed at it, posing a significant safety risk to the pilots and passengers.
A conviction for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. It is essential to note that an indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
Case Number: CR-23-01688-TUC-JAS
Release Number: 2024-035_Preston
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Key Facts
- State: Arizona
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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