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As a 30-year-old man awaits sentencing in a laser-pointer assault on a pilot flying over Hawaii, federal officials are warning people about the danger of pointing the high-powered beams at planes.Jesse Kong of Maui pleaded guilty in federal court on April 15 to being an accessory after the fact to the Jan. 25, 2024, incident involving a Cessna 182 aircraft operated by the FBI, court papers reviewed by USA TODAY show.Concentrated beams from a laser can "instantly impair" a pilot's vision, turning a routine journey into a potential catastrophe, FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter said."Aiming a laser at an aircraft is not a prank," Porter said. "It's a direct assault of the safety of a pilot, the passengers and everyone on the ground below. If you light up the sky and an aircraft, expect us to come knocking at your door."Purposely aiming a laser pointer beam at an aircraft or its flight path is a federal felony, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii, in partnership with the FBI and Federal Aviation Administration, warned. If convicted of the crime, a person faces up to five years in prison.Hawaii resident Jesse Kong sentencing set for June 17According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Hawaii, Kong admitted he bought a laser pointer online and loaned it to another person who, in Kong’s presence," aimed the laser at a federal aircraft and into its cockpit, disorienting the pilot and interfering with the aircraft’s operations." The incident took place as the aircraft traveled over The Aloha State, according to the April 6 indictment filed in the case. Kong was initially charged on Aug. 21, 2025, with aiming a black VASTFIRE laser pointer at the plane. Shortly after the incident, FBI agents intercepted Kong and his associate, questioning both, and Kong "falsely represented that the individuals responsible had already left the scene, thereby assisting his associate in eluding apprehension," the release continues.Kong is set for sentencing June 17, court records show.Under a plea deal reached in his case, he faces up to 6 months of imprisonment.U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson said Hawaii has one of the highest rates of aircraft laser-pointing assault in the nation."Pointing a laser at an aircraft is highly dangerous, illegal, and will be met with the full force of federal law enforcement," the state's top prosecutor said. "My office is committed to working with the FBI and other law enforcement partners, as well as with the FAA, to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.”What happens when you point a laser at a plane?Pointing a laser at plane can not only blind a pilot, but it can also cause a fire.Federal prosecutors say some laser pointers sold online are also often mislabeled as to classification and power output."Devices marketed as low-powered, handheld pointers may in fact emit laser radiation at much higher power levels than advertised," prosecutors said. "Some handheld devices can start fires and cause severe ocular damage."Anyone who witnesses someone pointing a laser at a plane is encouraged to contact law enforcement.Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
