William Wilson, a 56-year-old man from Buckeye, Arizona, was sentenced to 10 months in prison on June 15, 2025, for aiming laser pointers at U.S. Air Force fighter jets during training flights. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Wilson pleaded guilty to two counts of aiming lasers at aircraft between September 2024 and January 2025, with FBI surveillance capturing the activity near his residence.
Wilson was originally indicted on four counts of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft but pleaded guilty to two of those counts, according to a June 25, 2025 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. The incidents occurred between September 2024 and January 2025, during which Wilson repeatedly aimed lasers at U.S. Air Force F-35 fighter jets conducting training missions near Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, officials said.
On January 8, 2025, an FBI surveillance aircraft recorded video tracing laser beams back to Wilson’s residence in Buckeye, capturing strikes that affected pilots of the FBI plane and two F-35 jets, the news release stated.
Following the surveillance, law enforcement executed a search of Wilson’s home and seized two laser devices—a red laser and a green laser. Wilson admitted to agents that he had pointed the lasers at aircraft on several occasions, corroborating the recorded evidence, officials confirmed. The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that the laser strikes posed serious interference with pilots during training exercises, affecting their ability to safely complete mission objectives.
The federal felony charge Wilson was convicted of is classified as aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft or the flight path of an aircraft, a crime pursued vigorously by federal authorities due to the significant safety risks involved, according to prosecutors. In similar Arizona cases, such as one involving Glenwood Arthur Bringle, 56, of Bagdad, laser strikes have illuminated fighter jet cockpits and interfered with pilots’ vision and ability to fly safely. Bringle was sentenced on June 25, 2025, to nine days in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to aiming lasers at two U.S. Air Force F-16 jets during training exercises.
The investigation into Wilson’s conduct was a coordinated effort involving the FBI, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI), and local law enforcement, reflecting a multi-agency approach common to laser-at-aircraft cases in the region. The U.S. Attorney’s Office news release detailed that multiple aircraft, including the FBI surveillance plane and two F-35s, were struck by lasers originating from Wilson’s residence, underscoring the seriousness of the interference with flight operations.
Authorities noted that laser strikes on military aircraft are treated as federal felony offenses because they create hazards that can jeopardize pilot safety and mission success. In the Bringle case, the defendant forfeited firearms and laser devices and was placed under supervised release, demonstrating the range of penalties and enforcement tools used in these cases. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and Air Force investigators continue to stress the importance of prosecuting such offenses to deter similar conduct.
Wilson’s sentencing to 10 months in prison on June 15, 2025, was reported by local media, including FOX 10 Phoenix, which cited the federal news release. The incidents occurred during routine training flights in controlled airspace around Luke Air Force Base, an area regularly used by the U.S. Air Force for pilot training. The case adds to a series of federal prosecutions in Arizona targeting individuals who aim lasers at military aircraft, reflecting ongoing efforts to safeguard military aviation operations and pilot safety.
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