PORTLAND, Maine: An Auburn man was sentenced today in federal court for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced John Edwards, 50, to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Edwards’ criminal history includes a 2015 Ohio conviction for felony domestic violence; it is against federal law for a felon to possess a firearm.
According to court records, on November 14, 2020, an Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the area of Sullivan Road in Greene for a report of a male walking outside a residence shooting a firearm. Upon arrival in the area, the deputy observed Edwards holding a shotgun and firing it. After multiple commands, Edwards dropped the weapon and put his hands above his head. The deputy also observed that Edwards was intoxicated.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
The prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. 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.
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