“Lasing aircraft is not a joke or a casual prank. It is reckless behavior that can have fatal consequences for air crew, passengers and the public on the ground,” said Special Agent in Charge Monica M. Miller of the FBI’s Sacramento field office. “Rodriguez’s sentence clearly demonstrates the seriousness of his actions and that the FBI will work with its law enforcement partners to locate and arrest those who engage in dangerous, improper use of hand-held lasers that puts us all at risk.” “Deliberately pointing a laser at an aircraft is a criminal act with serious safety repercussions,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta. “We applaud law enforcement agencies and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their efforts to combat this serious problem.” Sentencing for Coleman is set for May 12, 2014. She faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. According to the FAA, there were 3,960 reports of people shining lasers at aircraft in the United States in 2013.