William Wilson, 56, of Buckeye, Arizona, was sentenced June 15 to 10 months in prison in federal court in Phoenix for aiming a laser pointer at U.S. Air Force F-35 fighter jets near Luke Air Force Base. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Wilson admitted targeting the jets during training flights between September 2024 and January 2025.
The federal indictment, returned by a grand jury on July 29, 2025, charged Wilson with four counts of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, a felony under 18 U.S.C. § 39A. He pleaded guilty to two counts, with the remaining charges dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
Wilson admitted to aiming a laser pointer at multiple U.S. Air Force F-35 fighter jets during their training flights in the airspace around Luke Air Force Base between September 2024 and January 2025, according to a June 15 statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona.
U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan imposed the 10-month prison sentence at a hearing in federal court in Phoenix. Following his incarceration, Wilson is expected to serve a term of supervised release, although the exact duration was not specified in the Department of Justice release. Wilson will serve his sentence in the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons at a designated federal facility.
The laser strikes targeted F-35 jets conducting training missions near Luke Air Force Base, a primary training location for the advanced fighter aircraft. The Justice Department emphasized that such laser attacks pose serious risks to pilots, including temporary blindness, visual impairment, and distraction during critical phases of flight. These hazards can endanger not only the aircrews but also people on the ground in the surrounding areas, officials said.
The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, with investigative support from federal and military agencies. The office’s public affairs contact, Esther J. Winne, provided additional information and handled media inquiries related to the case. Prosecutors highlighted that laser pointer offenses against aircraft are taken seriously due to their threat to aviation safety and national security.
Wilson’s case is part of a broader enforcement effort in Arizona targeting individuals who aim lasers at military aircraft. A similar case involved Glenwood Arthur Bringle, 56, of Bagdad, Arizona, who was sentenced on June 25, 2025, to nine days in prison and three years of supervised release for aiming a laser pointer at two U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter jets during a training flight on October 5, 2021. Bringle pleaded guilty to the same felony offense under 18 U.S.C. § 39A earlier that year. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the FBI, and local law enforcement agencies collaborated on the Bringle investigation, according to public records.
The federal statute under which Wilson was charged criminalizes knowingly aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft or its flight path. Violations can carry penalties of up to five years in prison, though judges have discretion within federal sentencing guidelines. The Department of Justice’s announcement of Wilson’s sentence serves as a deterrent message that repeated laser strikes on military aircraft can result in prison time, not just fines or probation.
Local media outlets in Phoenix reported on Wilson’s sentencing, describing the defendant as a 56-year-old Buckeye man who endangered fighter pilots near Luke Air Force Base. Coverage emphasized the danger posed by laser pointers to pilots and the proximity of the incidents to a major military installation. The sentencing followed a period of heightened attention to laser attacks on aircraft in Arizona, where multiple prosecutions have been pursued in recent years.
Luke Air Force Base remains a critical training hub for F-35 pilots, and repeated laser attacks in its surrounding airspace increase the risk to student and instructor pilots engaged in complex flight operations. Federal authorities continue to investigate and prosecute such offenses to protect aviation safety and national security interests.
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