A few months back, I blogged about a rash of laser beam incidents. Today, one of the suspects in a New Jersey case who was accused of pointing a green laser beam at a small passenger jet, temporarily blinding the pilot and co-pilot, was indicted under the federal anti-terror Patriot Act:

David W. Banach, who claimed he was looking at stars with his daughter, also was accused of lying to the FBI about the Dec. 29 incident in which the jet’s windshield and cabin were hit three times with a beam as the plane approached Teterboro Airport.

The charges in the federal indictment were similar to those filed against Banach in an FBI complaint in January; the indictment replaces the complaint.

Attorney Gina Mendola-Longarzo said Banach was using the laser for stargazing when the plane was hit by the beam.

“I think it’s an absolute abuse of prosecutorial discretion to charge my client under the Patriot Act for non-purposeful conduct,” she said.

U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie said in a statement officials took the actions “very seriously, and we will not condone lying to federal agents.”

Good.

Look for the anti-Patriot Act crowd to go into hysterics over Banach’s indictment. Watch them try to make a martyr out of this weasel. Then join me in hoping that the book gets thrown at the laser beam bozo, sending an unmistakable message that interfering with any mass transportation system at a time of war will not, not, not be tolerated.

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