Joseph L. Crapsi, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of pointing a laser pointer at an aircraft landing in New York
NEED TO KNOW
- Joseph L. Crapsi pleaded guilty to pointing a laser at a Delta plane attempting to land in Buffalo in 2024
- Crapsi’s attorneys argued his autism and deafness made prison inappropriate but prosecutors sought 18 to 24 months imprisonment
- The FAA reports over 3,300 laser strikes this year, highlighting the serious risks posed to aircraft safety
A New York man was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison after admitting to pointing a green laser at a Delta Air Lines plane attempting to land in Buffalo.
According to a July 10 press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of New York, Joseph L. Crapsi, 31, of Cheektowaga, N.Y., was convicted of one count of pointing a laser pointer at an aircraft.
The case stemmed from an incident that occurred in early March 2024. According to a criminal complaint, obtained by PEOPLE, a pilot on board Delta Air Lines flight 2334 reported a green laser pointed towards the aircraft around 12:07 a.m. local time on March 1. The pilot reported the laser originated one mile south of the approach and lasted between 60 and 90 seconds.
Officers from the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) Police Department were dispatched to the surrounding area in Cheektowaga to investigate, per the complaint. Around 12:30 a.m., Cheektowaga Police Department (CPD) personnel allegedly responded to a report of a laser being pointed inside a neighbor’s home. Officers from NFTA and CPD then identified the home where Crapsi and his parents live. The homeowners allowed officers to enter the home, where they reportedly observed and recovered a laser pointer on top of Crapsi’s bed.
Crapsi was later arrested on March 15, 2024, according to court records…