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A man accused of aiming a laser pointer at Marine One, the U.S. Marine Corps helicopter carrying President Donald Trump in September 2025, was acquitted of federal charges in Washington, D.C., according to the New York Times.
Jacob Samuel Winkler, 33, was found not guilty Jan. 13 in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia of a felony charge alleging he pointed a laser at an aircraft. Winkler faced a potential sentence of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The verdict came after just 35 minutes of jury deliberation.
The incident occurred Sept. 20, 2025, as Marine One was leaving the southern grounds of the White House. A uniformed Secret Service officer reported seeing Winkler shirtless, talking to himself, and behaving loudly before the incident, according to court records.
Prosecutors argued Winkler first aimed a red laser at the officer assigned to secure the helicopter's flight path and then pointed the laser at the helicopter. The officer detained Winkler and placed him in handcuffs.
Court records indicate that after being handcuffed, Winkler dropped to his knees and repeatedly said he should apologize to Donald Trump. A 3-inch fixed blade knife was also found on Winkler.
Winkler had admitted to pointing the laser at Marine One, but claimed he didn't know it was illegal.
The complaint warned that the conduct risked ‘flash blindness and pilot disorientation, particularly during low-level flight near other aircraft and landmarks, including the Washington Monument, potentially increasing the risk of an airborne collision.
The public defender for Winkler argued that the case was a clear example of ‘misuse of prosecutorial discretion' and that federal resources were spent charging a man whose ‘alleged weapon was a cat toy key chain.'
Laser pointers, according to the FAA, are a serious threat to pilots and put thousands of passengers at risk every year. Pilots reported 12,840 laser strikes to the FAA in 2024.
After the jury's verdict, Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Winkler acquitted, discharged, and any bond exonerated, according to the New York Times.
A similar case is pending in Oregon, where federal prosecutors allege Hector Miranda-Mendoza, 35, aimed a laser at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter.RELATED ARTICLES:Man charged with pointing a laser at Marine One helicopterLaser strikes down from record 2023, FAA says numbers still dangerously highSeries of laser strikes in Boston part of growing problem in national airspace