Further Reading A three-second laser strike cost Barry Bowser everything sentenced Thursday to three years in prison after he pleaded guilty in September 2016 to pointing a laser at a local police helicopter.

Jordan Clarence Rogers has now joined the ranks of people who have been convicted of laser strikes relative to the thousands of incidents that are reported to the Federal Aviation Administration every year.

The federal government takes such laser strikes very seriously and prosecutes cases when and where it can. The Department of Justice told Ars that more than 28,000 laser illumination incidents in the United States have been reported to the Federal Aviation Administration between 2011 and 2015. But as of 2014, only 134 arrests were made, and there were only 80 convictions.

As of October 22, 2016 the FAA reported 5,564 incidents nationwide. That’s more than 22 laser strikes reported in the United States every day. However, in 2015, just 12 were reported in Kansas City, Missouri, where Rogers fired his laser.

Further Reading Man who fired laser at Washington ferry to only pay $9,500

“It creates a danger not only to those in the aircraft but also to those on the ground,” Brian Casey, an assistant United States Attorney, wrote in that filing, referring to Rogers' 2013 laser strike. “In this case, the defendant struck the aircraft over a residential neighborhood. Thankfully the pilot was able to remain in control, but this defendant created a real and entirely unnecessary risk of tragedy. This is a serious offense and the defendant’s punishment should reflect that fact.”

Casey also pointed out that Rogers had a "horrendous" criminal history that includes prior drug and property crimes.

Carrie Allen, who served as Rogers’ public defender, had asked the judge to impose a lesser sentence than what the government was asking for.

“Mr. Rogers did something that many young people might impulsively do: impulsively attempt to hit an object with a laser pointer,” she wrote in her own pre-sentencing memorandum. “Unfortunately, a helicopter is an enticing target in these circumstances. Mr. Rogers did not go to an airport and intentionally point a laser pointer at planes carrying hundreds of people. Yet, the guidelines would not distinguish between that sort of thought out action, endangering large amounts of innocent civilians, and this impulsive behavior.”

In December 2016, Ars reported on the case of Barry Bowser, a California man who went to trial after the government accused him of the same crime. He was found guilty and was sentenced to 21 months in prison.