Houston Man Gets Prison Time for Pointing Laser at Aircraft

May 28—A Houston man was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison after being convicted of pointing a laser at aircraft flying near Hobby Airport.

Jordan Dwaynel Jackson, 36, will have to spend at least half of his sentence in federal prison, U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal ordered Wednesday. The other half can be accrued while Jackson serves an 18-year sentence for aggravated sexual assault, which he pleaded guilty to last year in Harris County, according to court records.

Police conducted a manhunt through the Third Ward in 2021 to find who had pointed a green light at planes landing at the airport. Jackson also pointed a laser at a Houston Police Department helicopter that helped search for him, prosecutors said.

When Jackson was arrested he had two lasers on him and admitted he shined one at the helicopter, according to a plea agreement. Jackson initially denied aiming at the planes.

Jackson pleaded guilty to one laser-pointing charge in February. The charge was specific to shining the light at the helicopter. As of part of the plea deal, charges that he pointed the laser at other aircraft were dropped.

The charge is a rare example of a person being tried and convicted for pointing lasers at aircraft, which federal aviation officials have said is a major issue at a Houston's airport. The FAA recorded 543 laser strikes of planes over Houston in 2024, more than any other city in the country, according to agency data.

The FAA considers lasers a serious safety risk, and warns that pilots can be blinded if beams hit them in their eyes. The agency can seek civil fines against people accused of shining lasers at aircraft. It's unclear if the agency was seeking to fine Jackson, who is imprisoned and previously reported being homeless and unemployed.

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