PORTLAND, OR – The United States Attorney’s Office has announced that Brian Keith Kapileo Nepaial, 38, of Aloha, has been charged for allegedly pointing a laser at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Helicopter and possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
According to court documents, a CBP helicopter was struck by a green laser on October 3rd, causing the pilot to abort a planned landing. The flight crew said they observed a person walking near a residence and disappearing. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is said to have identified the residence, then agents executed a federal search warrant there a week later. Agents say they found a laser in the bedroom of Nepaial. They also say they discovered over 100 grams of methamphetamine and evidence of drug trafficking.
“Laser strikes are a serious matter with potentially deadly repercussions. They put the lives of the pilots and the public at risk. Aiming or pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime and will be prosecuted,” said Scott E. Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon…