Four metro-Atlanta area men who are accused of aiming a laser pointer at police helicopters in four separate incidents between 2020 and 2021 received indictments on July 13 by a federal grand jury.
Three of these laser incidents happened in Gwinnett County.
Daniel Maloney, 55, of Snellville, Fredy Contreras, 48, of Lilburn, Timothy Wilson, 61, of Atlanta and Theodore Rowe, 51, of Lawrenceville were arraigned by U.S. Magistrate Judge Justin S. Anand.
According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, each man aimed a laser pointer at a police helicopter while it was assisting officers on the ground.
It is extremely dangerous to point a laser at aircraft because it can interfere with the pilot’s vision.
“When aimed at an aircraft, a beam of light from a handheld laser can illuminate a cockpit, disorienting and temporarily blinding the pilot or pilots of the craft, and in this case, preventing police from completing important public safety work,” said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta Keri Farley. “It's not a game. It's a federal felony that the FBI and our law enforcement partners take very seriously.”
The first laser pointer incident happened in Gwinnett County on Feb. 13, 2020 around 9:50 p.m.. A helicopter was helping Gwinnett County officers search for a robbery suspect who had fled into a wooded area. Officers had to suspend their search after the pilot and tactical flight officer were temporarily blinded by a red laser.
Authorities used infrared vision to find the source of the laser. When ground units arrived at Maloney’s home, the suspect was still pointing the laser at the helicopter.
The Gwinnett County Police Department experienced its next laser episode on Nov. 9, 2020 around 9 p.m.. A helicopter was assisting officers on the ground who were searching for a stolen vehicle. The aircraft was struck twice by a green laser, and the tactical officer was able to use infrared technology to determine what house the laser was aimed from.
Officers arrived at Contreras’ home, where he admitted to shining the laser.
The Atlanta Police Department experienced on May 26, 2021 one instance of laser-pointing during the early evening hours. The department was using a helicopter to look for a missing boy, until the search was interrupted by several flashes from a green laser.
The pilot used protective eye gear to minimize light from the laser, and then identified the home where the strikes came from. When ground officers arrived at Wilson’s house, he also admitted to pointing the laser at the helicopter.
The final laser incident happened in Gwinnett County on July 1, 2021 around 10:30 p.m.. Gwinnett County Police were searching for a suspicious person who was on a busy road. While the helicopter was attempting to locate this individual, a green laser struck the aircraft multiple times.
Officers reached Rowe’s home in Lawrenceville, where he admitted to shining the laser.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General, the Atlanta Police Department and the Gwinnett County Police Department are investigating the case.
“The Gwinnett Police Department is thankful for the diligence the FAA and FBI both have for continuing the mission of educating the public on how dangerous it is to point a laser at any aircraft,” Gwinnett County Police Department Chief James D. McClure said. “Our department will not allow these offenses to interfere with the Aviation Unit’s operations and the department’s mission of serving and protecting the residents of Gwinnett with first class law enforcement service, including airborne response.”
