A Nebraska man will serve two years in federal prison for shining a laser pointer at a police helicopter.

Michael Smith, 30, of Omaha, received a 24 month sentence, plus three years of supervised release, after he was convicted in April.

Following a two day trial, a federal jury found Smith guilty.

 

Evidence showed he aimed the pointer at an Omaha Police Department helicopter. The police chopper was responding to a Southwest Airlines commercial flight which reported that it had been struck by a laser one hour earlier.

US Attorney Deborah Gilg says Smith was the first person indicted in the District of Nebraska under a new federal law making it a federal crime to target aircraft with lasers. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, lasers can temporarily blind a pilot and make it impossible to safely land an aircraft. Smith faced a maximum penalty of up to five years in prison.