Man arrested for allegedly pointing laser at police helicopter
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Man arrested for allegedly pointing laser at police helicopter
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...a/14404762.htm
Man arrested for allegedly pointing laser at police helicopter
Associated Press
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - The former head of a condominium association was arrested for allegedly pointing a laser into the cockpit of a police helicopter, temporarily blinding the pilot, authorities said.
Peter Kontos, 33, of Newport Beach, was arrested Thursday. He is being held on $500,000 bond. If convicted, he faces up to three years in prison.
Police said Kontos pointed the laser at a police helicopter that responded to a burglary at the condominium complex where he lives on April 1. The pilot traced the beam - 30 times more powerful than a standard laser pointer - to Kontos' home, police said.
"The pilot indicated the blinding green laser light struck the helicopter's cockpit three times," police Sgt. Bill Hartford said.
A search of Kontos' home also yielded more than $100,000 in cash and several grams of cocaine, police said.
Kontos is a suspect in the embezzlement of more than $1 million in funds from a condominium association where he once served as president in 2002 and 2003.
Irvine lawyer Jeffrey Shields said he represented homeowners and the condominium association in a case against Kontos for his actions as president.
"We had a court-ordered special election to recall him, and then when the new board came in, embezzlement was discovered," Shields said.
A $1.6 million judgment was obtained against Kontos, the lawyer said.
Man arrested for allegedly pointing laser at police helicopter
Associated Press
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. - The former head of a condominium association was arrested for allegedly pointing a laser into the cockpit of a police helicopter, temporarily blinding the pilot, authorities said.
Peter Kontos, 33, of Newport Beach, was arrested Thursday. He is being held on $500,000 bond. If convicted, he faces up to three years in prison.
Police said Kontos pointed the laser at a police helicopter that responded to a burglary at the condominium complex where he lives on April 1. The pilot traced the beam - 30 times more powerful than a standard laser pointer - to Kontos' home, police said.
"The pilot indicated the blinding green laser light struck the helicopter's cockpit three times," police Sgt. Bill Hartford said.
A search of Kontos' home also yielded more than $100,000 in cash and several grams of cocaine, police said.
Kontos is a suspect in the embezzlement of more than $1 million in funds from a condominium association where he once served as president in 2002 and 2003.
Irvine lawyer Jeffrey Shields said he represented homeowners and the condominium association in a case against Kontos for his actions as president.
"We had a court-ordered special election to recall him, and then when the new board came in, embezzlement was discovered," Shields said.
A $1.6 million judgment was obtained against Kontos, the lawyer said.
Join Date: Aug 2000
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The chap almost qualifies for a Darwin Award - at least would do so had he need injured or killed in some way. Having managed to embezzle a fair sum from a condo association, drawing attention to himself by lasering a POLICE heli, seems perhaps a little rash...
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This was on Today Tonight or one of those current affairs shows here in Australia that did a segment on this exact thing.
I didn't see it, but the commercial was about some of these stupid f*cken idiots that set up a big laser on the approach pattern to an airport and shined these laser beams into the commercial jets cockpits. They also did an expiriment with there own (I think channell 7) Squirrell. Would of been interesting to see.
I didn't see it, but the commercial was about some of these stupid f*cken idiots that set up a big laser on the approach pattern to an airport and shined these laser beams into the commercial jets cockpits. They also did an expiriment with there own (I think channell 7) Squirrell. Would of been interesting to see.
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Courtesy of "The Swift Report - News & Views before you need them" last year :
So there you go - No malicous intentions towards all those "hot" airline pilots - Just a bunch of guys trying to be friendly 
Coconutty
FBI agents have traced another airline laser incident to a gay nightclub, this one in Dallas, TX. Last year, after pilots began complaining of laser beams penetrating their cockpits, investigators linked the green beams to gay nightclubs around the country, where laser wielders use the green rays to shine a light on club ‘hotties.’
Coconutty
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investigators linked the green beams to gay nightclubs around the country, where laser wielders use the green rays to shine a light on club ‘hotties.’
