Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

SANDY, Utah (ABC4) — A Sandy man has been charged after telling law enforcement that he would use a drone or invent an unregulated device in order to take down any aircraft entering "his airspace."

Joseph Talbot, 46, has been charged with threat of terrorism using a hoax weapon of mass destruction, a third-degree felony, and threat of terrorism causing an emergency agency to act, a Class B misdemeanor.

According to court documents, on June 28, 2025, deputies with the Salt Lake County Sheriff's responded to a residence in Sandy on reports of a suspicious circumstance. Dispatch was alerted that someone had targeted a helicopter with a laser pointer.

When law

See Full Page