US Attorney’s Office and FBI crack down on aircraft laser incidents, Maui man awaits sentencing

A Maui man pleaded guilty in federal court on April 15, 2026, to being an accessory after the fact to a laser-pointer assault on a federal pilot. Jesse Kong, 30, faces up to 6 months of imprisonment for that crime, according to the US Department of Justice.

Kong admitted in his plea agreement to purchasing a laser pointer online and loaning it to an associate 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.

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, according to the USDOJ.

Kong is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17, 2026.

“The FBI’s action demonstrates the positive safety impacts of working closely with our law enforcement partners. During the first five months of 2026, we have seen a 10.6% decrease in laser strikes in Hawaiʻi. This is an example of how support of the FAA’s ‘Lose the Laser’ campaign is getting results,” said FAA Associate Administrator for Security and Intelligence Ben Supko.

The US Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaiʻi, in partnership with the FBI and Federal Aviation Administration, cracking down on laser incidents that endanger aircraft.

“Shining a laser at an aircraft can impair a pilot’s vision—sometimes permanently—during critical moments of flight. These incidents present a serious safety risk to everyone on board the aircraft and to the communities below,” the USDOJ reports.

“Hawaiʻi has one of the highest rates of aircraft lasing in the nation,” said US Attorney Ken Sorenson. “That is simply unacceptable. Pointing a laser at an aircraft is highly dangerous, illegal, and will be met with the full force of federal law enforcement. 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.”

Federal law treats aircraft lasing as a serious criminal offense. Knowingly aiming a laser pointer beam at an aircraft or its flight path is a federal felony punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to five years. Where the aircraft is federally operated, lasing the aircraft can also constitute assault on a federal officer. Individuals who aid and abet such conduct, or even those who act as accessories after the fact, may also face federal prosecution.

“Aiming a laser at an aircraft is not a prank; it is a direct assault on the safety of the pilot, the passengers, and everyone on the ground below,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “These high-powered beams can instantly impair a pilot’s vision during the most critical phases of flight, turning a routine journey into a potential catastrophe. We use every resource at our disposal to track the illegal use of these lasers back to the source. If you light up the sky and an aircraft, expect us to come knocking at your door.”

The US Attorney’s Office also warns that laser pointers sold online are 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. Some handheld devices can start fires and cause severe ocular damage.

Pilots and aviation personnel should report laser strikes immediately to air traffic control and the FAA. Members of the public who witness someone pointing a laser at an aircraft are encouraged to contact authorities.

The FBI investigated the case. Assistant US Attorney Jonathan Slack is prosecuting the case.