BANGOR, Maine: An Old Town man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced William Abney, 57, to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. Abney pleaded guilty on April 28, 2022.
According to court records, in October 2021, a concerned citizen saw Abney in possession of an AK-47 style rifle in the living room of his Old Town residence and notified the police. Based on this and other information, investigators obtained a search warrant for the residence. During the warrant’s execution, Abney admitted that he possessed an AK‑47 and law enforcement located the weapon and a magazine full of ammunition. Abney has previous convictions which preclude him from possessing a firearm, including a 1999 federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Old Town Police Department, and the Brewer Police Department investigated the case. The Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. To learn more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit www.justice.gov/psn.
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