By Pepper Fisher
TACOMA – Randall Muck, the 36-year-old Port Angeles man who pleaded guilty to pointing a laser light at a Coast Guard helicopter, will avoid going to prison.
Muck was sentenced in federal court Monday to one year probation, including 90 days of home confinement with electronic monitoring.
Muck pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault on a federal officer. He was facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Muck was indicted in May of 2019, charged with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft and making false statements to government agents. In pleading guilty to assault on a federal agent, Muck admitted that on the evening of September 26, 2016, he pointed a high-powered laser beam from his home near Fourth and Hill Streets at a Dolphin helicopter that was descending toward the Coast Guard base on Ediz Hook 3 miles away.
Laser light can cause temporary loss of vision and force an air crew to abort its mission. In this case, no one suffered permanent damage, but the crew had to be assessed medically before returning to duty. In the sentencing memo, prosecutors noted that because the helicopter crew was grounded for a time, the region was without a local emergency response helicopter crew.
Sentencing documents reveal Muck was identified as a suspect when coworkers reported he had been bragging about the incident at work. Later, when Muck learned of the criminal investigation, he told co-workers they should not report his involvement to law enforcement, or he would retaliate.
Muck is no longer employed by that company.