ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) – A Rockford man has pleaded guilty to pointing a laser pointer at an aircraft.
Forty-five-year old Brenton Wells entered the plea Tuesday in Rockford federal court. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced, scheduled to occur on Dec. 10.
Prosecutors say Wells was standing in the backyard of a Rockford home Dec. 6 and knowingly aimed a laser pointer at the aircraft as it flew overhead.
The laser beam can cause temporary blindness for the flight crew of any aircraft.
