Chicago Man Indicted on Federal Charge of Aiming a Laser Pointer at a Police Helicopter
Ignacin Ramos, 36, pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of aiming a laser pointer at a Chicago Police Department helicopter on Aug. 11, 2026.
A Chicago man has been indicted in federal court on a charge of aiming a laser pointer at a Chicago Police Department helicopter in August, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois said.
Ignacin Ramos, 36, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. The charge carries up to five years in federal prison.
What the indictment says
The one-page indictment, returned by a federal grand jury in Chicago on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026, says that on or about Aug. 11, 2026, Ramos “knowingly aimed the beam of a laser pointer at, and at the flight path of, an aircraft, namely, a Chicago Police Department helicopter, in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.”
It charges him with one count under 18 U.S.C. § 39A(a), the federal law against aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft or its flight path. The indictment was filed under seal. Neither the indictment nor the announcement says where in Chicago the helicopter was or whether anyone aboard was hurt.
What the court record shows
The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland, and an arrest warrant was issued the day of the indictment, according to the federal docket.
Ramos was arrested on the morning of Oct. 8, 2026, and appeared the same day before U.S. Magistrate Judge Beth W. Jantz, who granted the government’s request to unseal the case. The court found he could not afford a lawyer and appointed attorney Ryan Levitt to represent him. Judge Jantz released him on a $4,500 recognizance bond, which does not require him to post money unless he fails to appear.
Who investigated
The FBI investigated, with help from the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Davis Price Shugrue is prosecuting the case.
What happens next
A status hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 3, 2026, before Judge Rowland.
Ramos is presumed innocent. The allegations have not been proven in court.
