DENVER — On Thursday afternoon, a man stood before a judge and said he didn’t intend to hurt anyone when he was “goofing off” with a laser pointer.
Federal investigators arrested Kevin Adamchak, 43, in March 2023 when a pilot for the Denver Police helicopter known as “Air 1” reported a flash of blindness and intense pain when a blue laser light hit the aircraft.
Adamchak was indicted on the federal felony of aiming a laser at an aircraft and pleaded guilty to the charge in December.
“I was goofing off. I didn’t fully understand how serious this really was,” Adamchak told the judge during his sentencing on Thursday.
Such a conviction can carry the maximum sentence of five years in federal prison; however, the judge in the case agreed with prosecutors that three years of probation was sufficient. Adamchak will also have to serve 100 hours of community service.
A review of federal cases in Colorado over the past 10 years shows about 12 people have been prosecuted for aiming a laser pointer at aircraft. Most of the cases involve the Denver Police chopper.
The crime became a felony in 2012 because of the potential dangers that laser pointers can cause in cockpits. Pilots report that lasers can cause blinding flashes of light that can lead to disorientation.
The crimes are often investigated by the FBI when police request assistance.
"A laser strike on an aircraft is not a game," said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek, when Adamchak pleaded guilty in December. "It's a serious action with possibly lethal consequences. The FBI will continue to vigorously investigate these incidents."
Adamchak declined to comment about his case after his sentencing.
If you have any information about this story or would like to send a news tip, you can contact jeremy@9news.com.
More 9NEWS stories by Jeremy Jojola:
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Investigations & Crime
9NEWS+ has multiple live daily shows including 9NEWS Mornings, Next with Kyle Clark and 9NEWS+ Daily, an original streaming program. 9NEWS+ is where you can watch live breaking news, weather updates, and press conferences. You can also replay recent newscasts and find videos on demand of our top stories, local politics, investigations and Colorado specific features.
To download 9NEWS+ on Roku search for KUSA.
To download 9NEWS+ on Fire TV search for 9NEWS.