Toledo Man Sentenced for Pointing a Laser at a Flying Aircraft

TOLEDO, Ohio - A 42-year-old Lucas County man has been sentenced to federal prison for flashing a laser pointer at an aircraft while in flight.  

Branden Jay Lounsbury, of Toledo, was sentenced to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp after pleading guilty in June to Aiming a Laser Pointer at an Aircraft or its Flight Path.  

According to court documents, Lounsbury aimed a laser pointer at an Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter multiple times while it was flying in U.S. airspace on June 2, 2025, in violation of Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 39A(a).  The helicopter was flying over a residential neighborhood in Toledo at the time and pilots were able to identify Lounsbury’s location. Pointing a laser at an aircraft while in flight creates a serious risk of temporary blindness and distraction to the pilot, which could cause the aircraft to crash, as well as the risk of permanent injury to the pilot’s eyesight. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, from 2014 to 2023 the number of lasering incidents on aircrafts increased tenfold.

This investigation was conducted by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and the Toledo Police Department.

Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Ballard Tangeman led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.