Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty To Aiming Laser Beam At Police Helicopter

LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man pleaded guilty Wednesday to pointing a green laser beam at a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department helicopter as it was responding to a call.

According to court documents and admissions made in court by Sergio Octavio Sanchez, on January 2, 2025, he aimed the beam of a laser pointer at a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department helicopter several times as the helicopter was providing aerial support for officers on the ground. Due to the laser beam striking the helicopter, the helicopter was forced to divert from its assignment and flight path.

Aiming a laser beam at an aircraft in the sky poses a serious safety risk. Laser beams can cause disorientation, temporary blindness - potentially causing a midair collision or other incident - and in some cases permanent vision problems or blindness. According to the FAA, in 2025, pilots reported 10,993 laser strikes.

Sanchez faces the maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for May 12, 2026. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Tina Snellings is prosecuting the case.

First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI’s Las Vegas Division made the announcement.

If you spot someone aiming a laser at the sky in a suspicious manner, you can report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or visiting tips.fbi.gov. You can also report laser strikes to the FAA. 

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