Oak Island man indicted for aiming laser pointer at helicopter

RALEIGH, NC (WWAY) — A federal grand jury has indicted a Brunswick County man on charges of pointing a laser beam at an aircraft in flight.

Investigators said Christopher Lee Funk, 34, of Oak Island, knowingly pointed the laser at a helicopter. If convicted, Funk could face five years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

According to the Star News, the incident happened back in May of 2014. According to the paper, the pilot involved in this incident said the light refracted from the laser so intensely there was a chance they wouldn’t be able to safely land the aircraft.

Rick Parrotte, an attorney based in Brunswick County, Tweeted to WWAY after seeing our story. He says Funk is his client.

@WWAY Seems like a waste of resources for the State to have indicted & pursued prosecution for the past 6 months only to have feds swoop in

— Rick Parrotte (@rickparrotte) October 22, 2014

The case is being investigated by the Oak Island Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.