BANGOR, Maine: An Orono man was sentenced today in federal court for possessing an unregistered firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Louis J. Dettling, 27, to time served (nine months) and two years of supervised release. Dettling pleaded guilty on December 2, 2021.
According to court records, on March 2, 2021, Dettling was pulled over by the Holden Police Department and arrested on state charges of terrorizing and criminal trespass. A subsequent inventory search of Dettling’s vehicle revealed a short-barreled rifle that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). Federal law prohibits the possession of a rifle having a barrel length of less than 16 inches unless that weapon is registered to the possessor in the NFRTR.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office; and the Holden Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.