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People in the News

Saturday, April 26, 2025

People in the News

Saturday, April 26, 2025

Pointing laser at helicopter lands Dallas man in prision

justice deptOrlando Jose Chapa, 37, of Dallas, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Reed C. O’Connor to 13 months in federal prison following his guilty plea in November 2015 to indictment charging one count of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas.

Chapa, who is on bond, was ordered to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on March 24, 2016.

According to documents filed in the case, on or about May 30, 2015, in the Dallas Division of the Northern District of Texas, Chapa knowingly aimed the beam of a laser pointer at a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter and at the flight path of that aircraft.  Chapa aimed the laser at the helicopter from his driveway as it was flying overhead.