Brian K. Kapileo Nepaial, 38, of Aloha pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court after prosecutors said he aimed a green laser at a Customs and Border Protection helicopter as it tried to land at Hillsboro Airport on Oct. 3, 2025. Federal agents later searched a nearby residence and reported finding a laser pointer and more than 100 grams of methamphetamine. Nepaial has admitted guilt on both the laser and drug counts and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 28, 2026.
Prosecutors: Laser Strike Disrupted Landing
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, the CBP helicopter was hit by a green laser on Oct. 3, 2025, forcing the flight crew to abort its planned landing at Hillsboro Airport. Investigators with the FBI later identified a nearby residence and executed a search warrant there on Oct. 10, 2025, seizing a laser pointer from Nepaial’s bedroom along with what prosecutors describe as evidence of drug trafficking. A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment on Dec. 16, 2025, charging him with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Flight Crew Sighting Helped Investigators
KPTV reports the helicopter crew saw a person walking near a house and then disappearing right as the aircraft was illuminated by the laser, a detail that helped narrow the search area for investigators on the ground. That sighting fed into the investigation that led agents to execute the search warrant and ultimately to charge Nepaial in federal court. His guilty plea resolves those charges ahead of the July sentencing date.
Penalties the Defendant Faces
Per the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, the laser charge carries a statutory maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. The methamphetamine charge carries a statutory maximum of 40 years in prison, a mandatory minimum of five years, up to $5 million in fines and five years of supervised release. Sentencing is set for July 28, 2026, in federal court in Portland, and the case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Why Laser Strikes Matter
Even a quick hit of laser light can cause flash-blindness or lingering afterimages, which is exactly what flight crews do not need during landings or other critical phases of flight. A compilation of FAA data by LaserPointerSafety.com shows 10,993 reported laser illuminations in the United States in 2025, with green lasers reported most often. The FAA’s safety guidance also warns that laser strikes can force pilots to break off approaches and stresses that timely pilot reporting is key to tracking down and prosecuting suspects, according to FAA Safety Briefing.
Nepaial’s guilty plea ends the indictment phase of the case but leaves open what sentence he will receive and whether the court will impose the five-year mandatory minimum tied to the drug count. The July 28 hearing is scheduled in U.S. District Court in Portland.
