PHOENIX — A man from Bagdad, Arizona, has been sentenced to a short prison term and several years of supervision after admitting he aimed a laser pointer at U.S. Air Force fighter jets during a training mission.
Glenwood Arthur Bringle, 56, was sentenced on June 25, 2025, to nine days in prison followed by three years of supervised release. The sentence was issued by U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich after Bringle pleaded guilty to a felony charge: Aiming a Laser Pointer at an Aircraft or the Flight Path of an Aircraft.
The incident occurred on October 5, 2021, when Bringle used a laser pointer to target two Air Force F-16s flying over a desert area near his home during a scheduled training exercise. The lasers illuminated both cockpits, disrupting the pilots’ visibility and their ability to safely complete the exercise.
As part of his plea agreement, Bringle also surrendered several firearms and laser devices that were seized during a search of his residence on November 8, 2021.
The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office jointly investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona prosecuted it.
Pointing lasers at aircraft is a federal crime because it can endanger lives by impairing pilots’ vision during flight — a risk considered especially serious when military aircraft are involved.
