Posted on 01/04/2005 7:31:53 PM PST by Destro
NJ man was released on $100,000 bail Tuesday after federal authorities accused him of pointing a laser beam at two aircraft last week.
David Banach, 38, of Parsippany, surrendered Tuesday morning on charges of interfering with the operation of a mass transit vehicle and making false statements to federal agents.
Banach was released after a brief bail hearing Tuesday afternoon in a federal court in Newark.
He did not enter a plea during the hearing, but he is expected to plead not guilty to the charges, said his attorney, Gina Mendola Longarzo.
Prosecutors say Banach aimed laser pointers at aircraft in separate incidents on December 29 and December 31.
In the second case, the beam was spotted by a Port Authority helicopter investigating recent incidents involving aircraft being targeted by laser pointers.
State and federal authorities immediately found the source of the beam and questioned Banach. He told them he was pointing the green laser beam at stars with his 7-year-old daughter on the family's raised deck, Longarzo said.
According to the complaint, Banach initially said his daughter shined the handheld laser on the helicopter on December 31.
After other witnesses were questioned, Banach admitted that he was the one who shined the light on the helicopter, the complaint said.
Banach also initially denied any involvement in the earlier incident, in which a laser beam struck a small aircraft with 13 people aboard as it was landing at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, 12 miles west of midtown New York City.
He admitted his involvement in both incidents after a polygraph test and further questioning, according to an FBI affidavit.
Banach claimed to have bought the laser pointer in the past few weeks on BigHa.com, an Oregon-based Internet company.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Blamed his daughter? That alone sickens me.
Why is this guy out on bail. For jeopardizing the lives of innocent people, he should never see the light of day again.
see pics for more info.
I agree. Just a 1 second burst from a laser beam.
Maybe I'm just ignorant; but most laser pointers I have seen use RED (Helium/Neon - like) solid state lasers. These are less than 100 milliwatt units powered by 2 AA batteries. I have never seen a small portable Green laser; am I mistaken here? The only Green laser I'm aware of is the Helium/Argon lasers that are used in Laser Shows. These lasers are BIG, and very powerful. And they are NOT laser pointers.
see pics
Thanks; I wasn't aware of the small Green lasers; I was only aware of the small ($10) Red laser pointers.
links and pics above on green laser
Me too - which i s why I commented on how this was possible - then I went to the website where the said laser was purchased.
Out of date, maybe - I have one lying around here somewhere. Get your own here, among other places...
And you know what? This entire topic should have never have reached the MSM.
It should be Area 51 level top secret.
Now every dingleberry in the world is going to know how to cause havoc.
Look, I'm glad stealth technology is available. And, I'm not pissed off that they threatened to shoot any trespassers while perfecting it.
pretty well says it all, huh?
"Acid reflux". < /sarcasm >
Lied to authorities. Multiple incidents. What a moron.
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