A 38-year-old New Jersey man is charged with using a laser beam to temporarily blind a pilot and co-pilot of a commercial airplane. David Banach has been charged under the Patriot Act with interfeering with the operator of a mass transportation vehicle and making false statements to the FBI. He faces up to 25 years in prison and up to $500,000 in fines if convicted.

Banach claims he was just looking at the stars with his seven-year-old daughter. The FBI has acknowledged there is no connection between Banach and terrorism, but calls Banach's actions
'foolhardy and negligent.'

Banach originally told authorities that his daughter had pointed the laser beam at the airplane which is the reason for the false statements charge. He was questioned for several hours without an attorney present according to his lawyer.

'My client is in some ways a sacrificial lamb,' attorney Gina Mendola-Longarzo said. 'A message is being sent.' She then added, 'He wasn't trying to harm any person, any aircraft or anything like that.'

The incident took place on December 29th. The Cessna Citation charter had six passengers aboard at the time of the incident. Despite being temporarily blinded by the laser beam, the pilot was able to land the plane safely.

This is one of a series of similar incidents that have happened across the country including airports in Colorado Springs, Houston, Cleveland and Washington, D.C. Authorities say there is no evidence that any of the incidents are connected with terrorism in any way.