Custom sample Microsoft LDAP (AD) Controller for authentication for Laravel 5.1 (handshake version)

MSLDAPController.php

<?php
namespace App\Http\Controllers;

use Illuminate\Http\Request;

use App\Http\Requests;
use App\Http\Controllers\Controller;
/// Microsoft LDAP Controller for authentication

class LDAPAuthController {

 public function handshake($username, $password, $authEmail)
 {
   if(empty($username) or empty($password)){
     Log::error('Error binding to LDAP: username or password empty');
    //  return false;
   }
// if user used .domain.local, replace it with email
// TODO: Use server vars from apache instead (later on)
  $transformedAuthEmail = str_replace("domain.local", "domain.org", $authEmail);

  $ldapconn=ldap_connect("999.99.9.999") or die("Could not connect to LDAP server.");
  $result = false;

   if ($ldapconn)
   {
    try{

       // bind the connection
       $bind = @ldap_bind($ldapconn, $username, $password);

       if($bind){
         $result = ldap_search($ldapconn,"OU=FOO,DC=foo,DC=local", "mail={$transformedAuthEmail}", array('distinguishedname', 'memberof'));
         $entries = ldap_get_entries($ldapconn, $result);

         if (empty($entries) || $entries['count']==0){
           ldap_unbind($ldapconn);
           //Incorrect email address
           return false;

         } else{
          $LDAPUserName = $entries[0]['distinguishedname'][0];
           //$LDAPUserGroup = $entries[0]['memberof'];optional user membership
            // valid credentials
            ldap_unbind($ldapconn);
            return $LDAPUserName;
          }
       }
       else{
          // invalid credentials
          ldap_unbind($ldapconn);
          return false;
       }

    }
    //Blow up and Log
    catch(Exception $e){
       Log::error($e);
       return false;
    }

      // ldap_unbind($ldapconn);
   }
   else {
     Log::error('Error connecting to LDAP.');
     return false;
   }
   ldap_unbind($ldapconn);

   }

   public function authenticate($username, $password)
   {
     if(empty($username) or empty($password)){
      //  Log::error('Error binding to LDAP: username or password empty');
       return false;
     }

    $ldapconn=ldap_connect("999.9.99.999") or die("Could not connect to LDAP server.");
    // ldap_set_option($ldapconn, LDAP_OPT_PROTOCOL_VERSION, 3);  //Option for OpenLDAP (testing purposes)
    $result = false;

     if ($ldapconn)
     {
        $user_path=$this->handshake('admon_username','admin_pass', $username);
        if ($user_path==false){
          return false;
        }
      try{

         // bind the connection
         $bind = @ldap_bind($ldapconn, $user_path, $password);

         if($bind){
            // valid credentials

            ldap_unbind($ldapconn);
            return true;
         }
         else{
            // invalid credentials
            ldap_unbind($ldapconn);
            return false;
         }

      }
      //If username/password are not correct, dont login
      catch(Exception $e){
         return false;
      }

        // ldap_unbind($ldapconn);
     }
     else {
       Log::error('Error connecting to LDAP.');
     }
     ldap_unbind($ldapconn);

     }

}
?>