Maui man receives probation in laser-pointing case

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A Maui resident who pleaded guilty to charges relating to a laser-pointing incident involving an aircraft will not have to go to prison.

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30-year-old Jesse Kong was sentenced to four months of probation in U.S. District Court on Thursday.

He pleaded guilty on April 15 to being an accessory after the fact in a laser-pointer assault on a federal pilot on January 25, 2024. He faced up to six months of imprisonment under the agreement.

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Court documents say Kong admitted to purchasing a laser pointer online and loaning it to someone he was with, who then pointed it at an aircraft and into the pilot’s cockpit. The agreement also says Kong gave federal agents a false statement when he was questioned shortly after the event.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office says knowingly pointing a laser beam at an aircraft or in its flight path is a federal felony punishable by up to five years in prison.

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