Categories: Chicago

A man pleads guilty in the court for aiming laser pointer at aircraft

A man belongs to Rockford pleaded guilty in the court. He was presented before US District Judge Philip G. Reinhard. He pleaded guilty before the respected Judge to aiming a laser beam at an aircraft. An aircraft was flying over a residence when Brenton Wells, 45-year-old, pointed his laser pointer towards the aircraft.

Wells was standing in the backyard of the residence in Rockford when he pointed the laser beam at an aircraft on Dec 6, 2018. Wells agreed in a written plea agreement that he was involved in the case. He admitted that he pointed the beam at the aircraft for a period of time when the aircraft moved over the resistance.

The sentence will be announced by the court on December 10, 2019, at 9:00 am. Wells can face the maximum penalty of five years in prison and the fine of up to $250000. United States District Court will decide the actual sentence. Wells will be sentenced on the base of the Sentencing Guidelines issued to the district courts of the United States of America.

Scott R. Paccagnini, the Assistant US Attorney, represented the government during the announcement of the guilty plea. The plea was announced in the District Court by John R. Lausch, Jr., Jefferey S. Sallet, and Dan O’Shea. John R, Lausch, Jr., is the Attorney of the United States for the Northern Districts of Illinois. Jefferey S. Sallet is the Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s office in Chicago. O’Shea is the Chief of the Rockford Police.

Wells admitted the crime in the guilty plea that he was involved in the laser pointing at an aircraft at the end of last year. Wells also admitted that he pointed the laser beam with the aid of a laser pointer when the aircraft was moving in the sky over his residence. The court will sentence him on the 10th of December, 2019. The expected sentence is five-years-in-prison and $250000 fine. The court will decide the sentence according to the Sentencing Guidelines issued to the US District Courts.

Adyson Sipes

Staff writer for the Chicago Morning Star

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