Man gets 366 days in helicopter laser case

By Ed White Associated Press DETROIT (AP) -- A Detroit-area man who briefly blinded a federal agent when he aimed a green laser at a helicopter was sentenced Wednesday to a year and a day in prison. Dennis Berthiaume apologized and shook the hand of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection pilot who described the incident in court. "I felt a sense of flash blindness, similar to looking at the sun," said Michael Sackman, who had no permanent eye damage. Berthiaume, 44, of Madison Heights, was playing with the laser in 2010 when he aimed it at the helicopter, which was following a van with illegal immigrants late at night. The aircraft was 2,000 feet in the air. "I'd just like to say sorry to everybody in the room. It was strictly curiosity. I'm sorry," Berthiaume said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Martin recommended a 20-month prison sentence, noting there have been many incidents involving aircraft and hand-held laser pointers across the country. "A sentence of probation or home confinement sends a message to the public that this is no big deal. This is a big deal," Martin told the judge. U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts agreed but chose a punishment that was below the guidelines. A 366-day prison sentence will allow Berthiaume to shave time off for good behavior, so he'll likely spend less than a year in custody. It is "simply a blessing that a crash was not caused," Roberts said. Defense attorney Michael Friedman had asked for probation and claimed Berthiaume had limited intellect. Berthiaume is a manager at a strip club owned by his mother. Friedman said authorities had earlier suggested they might drop the case if his client could provide information to the FBI about drug activity. "None of the information provided ever came to fruition," Friedman said. Published: Fri, Jan 25, 2013