Man Charged Under Patriot Act for Laser

news.yahoo.com ^ | 04Jan05

[Las Vegas Dave]

NEWARK, N.J. - Federal authorities Tuesday used the Patriot Act to charge a man with pointing a laser beam at an airplane overhead and temporarily blinding the pilot and co-pilot.

The FBI (news - web sites) acknowledged the incident had no connection to terrorism but called David Banach's actions "foolhardy and negligent."

Banach, 38, of Parsippany admitted to federal agents that he pointed the light beam at a jet and a helicopter over his home near Teterboro Airport last week, authorities said. Initially, he claimed his daughter aimed the device at the helicopter, they said.

He is the first person arrested after a recent rash of reports around the nation of laser beams hitting airplanes.

Banach was charged only in connection with the jet. He was accused of interfering with the operator of a mass transportation vehicle and making false statements to the FBI, and was released on $100,000 bail. He could get up to 25 years in prison and fines of up to $500,000.

[TXnMA]

But lying to you is SOP with them...

[GretchenM]

I am very glad to see this.

[TXnMA]

Great minds... '-}

[JellyJam]

Let me be the first one to blame Bush for this. :-)

[Howlin]

I have been trying to think all day long exactly what this guy was thinking; I mean, he did it once, and then he did it to the helicopter they were using to look for him?

I just don't get it; maybe I should be glad I don't.

[Doohickey]

Okay, this doesn't pass the smell test. If this guy can point a laser into the cockpit of a moving aircraft travelling at about 200 knots, they should put a rifle in his hands and send him to Iraq.

[blam]

[blam]

[af_vet_1981]

Fry the SOB. Idiots who want to copy-cat aiming lasers at aircraft need to be taught a lesson that they won't easily forget.

Concur, and watch which lawyer(s) take his case.

[Fast1]

Screwing with a chimerical airliner and peoples lives ??The guy should get the book thrown at him..

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Fast1]

commercial

[Mount Athos]

This laser actually temporarily blinded the pilot and copilot?
Wow busted. Glad they caught him. Wonder how they caught him. Hm.

[af_vet_1981]

Wow busted. Glad they caught him. Wonder how they caught him. Hm.

Patriot Act and other methods that the constitutional ACLU moles on this web site constantly complain about ...

[OldFriend]

He had no idea that the pilot had agreed to refly the route with the police helicopter escort. When they got over his house he took the opportunity to lock in on the helicopter rather than the corporate jet.

The jet carried 13 passengers the first time the pilot was beamed.

This is a VERY heavily populated area. Can you imagine if there had been a crash?

It defies logic and frankly I don't care why he did it, he needs to commune with the rest of the criminals behind bars.

[NJ_gent]

"if it's not terrorism why charge him under the another law? Anyone know?"

Typical government mission creep. They used PATRIOT to hit a stripclub owner as well. The reason? Well, we can use law A (the correct law) to prosecute individual X for the crime and put him in jail for 5 years (reasonable punishment). Or we can use this handy new law that's written so broadly that it means whatever we say it means this week to get him put away for 25 years. Yeah, the heck with law A; we'll pick this one instead. It covers this crime; trust us.

[montag813]

"My advice is to kick someone's ass or become someone's bitch on the first day"

[NJ_gent]

Just so no one gets the wrong idea, by the way, I don't think this guy should get a free ride by any stretch. If they can show intent to bring down the aircraft (evidence of prior planning, etc), then I think he should be charged with 1 count of attempted murder for each passenger and crew member on the aircraft. If they can't show intent, then charge him with 1 count of recklass endangerment for each passenger and crew member on the aircraft. Either way, he'd be going away (assuming conviction) for quite a while. Charge people for crimes if you have evidence against them, but for goodness sakes, charge them with the right crime using the right law.

[Malcolm]

Why would anyone do this in the first place? Either he's completely ignorant or couldn't care less. Regardless, he deserves to be taught a lesson. If permanent damage was done to the pilot's eyes, he should get the full punishment.

Why do people do such things? Truth is stranger than fiction.....

[babygene]

bookmark for later