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Man Acquitted in Marine One Laser Case

A Washington man charged last fall with pointing a laser at Marine One while President Donald Trump was aboard was found not guilty this month, according to court records. Jacob Samuel Winkler, 33, was acquitted in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after a jury deliberated for about 35 minutes, ending a case that stemmed from an alleged Sept. 20, 2025, incident near the White House. Winkler had been charged with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, a federal felony that carries a potential penalty of up to five years in prison.

According to a criminal complaint, a uniformed Secret Service officer reported seeing Winkler shine a red laser at him before directing the beam toward Marine One as it departed the South Grounds of the White House at low altitude. The complaint stated the laser posed a risk of flash blindness and pilot disorientation during a critical phase of flight. Winkler was detained at the scene, and investigators alleged he later made statements referencing the president while in custody.

Following the verdict, Winkler’s public defenders said the jury’s decision reflected a lack of criminal conduct.

The jury’s verdict “underscores what should have been obvious from the start: Mr. Winkler committed no crime,” his attorneys said. The New York Times reported that Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Winkler acquitted and released following the verdict, with any bond exonerated. Federal prosecutors and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment, according to the Times.

Reports on the case indicated the acquittal was based on the government’s failure to prove the felony charge beyond a reasonable doubt. Winkler’s attorneys said prosecutors improperly elevated the incident into a federal crime, noting the device involved was described as a low-power laser attached to a key chain and arguing the evidence did not establish that the aircraft was endangered. The jury’s brief deliberation was cited by the defense as confirmation that the elements of the charge were not met, while prosecutors offered no public explanation following the verdict.

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