WASHINGTON – A man has been arrested on a federal charge after allegedly aiming a laser pointer at Marine One while President Donald Trump was aboard, according to a court filing released Monday.
Jacob Samuel Winkler, 33, of Washington, D.C., is charged with aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, according to the Associated Press. Online court records show he does not yet have an attorney listed.
Marine One was flying near the White House on Saturday when a U.S. Secret Service officer says they spotted Jacob Winkler walking shirtless along a sidewalk, loudly talking to himself, according to an affidavit.
Laser allegedly aimed at Marine One
The officer said he aimed a flashlight at Winkler, who allegedly responded by shining a red laser beam into the officer’s face.
As Marine One passed overhead, Winkler looked up and aimed the laser pointer at the helicopter, according to the officer.
After being handcuffed, he repeatedly mentioned wanting to apologize to President Trump, the affidavit states.
The court filing doesn’t indicate whether anyone aboard Marine One saw the laser. However, the officer said Winkler’s actions could have temporarily blinded or disoriented the pilot, creating a collision risk with other helicopters in the area.
President Donald Trump departs the White House via HMX-1 en route to Mount Vernon on Saturday, September 20th, 2025. (Official White House Photo by Harrison Koeppel)
Winkler faces felony charge
“This behavior endangers Marine One and everyone on board,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said in a statement according to the AP. “If you engage in this act, you will be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Winkler told investigators he often points the laser “at all kinds of things, such as stop signs,” and claimed he didn’t know it was illegal to aim it at Marine One, according to the affidavit. Officers also found a small knife in his possession, the report states.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the Associated Press.
