James Prescott III, Felon in Possession of Firearm, Maine 2021

A Brunswick man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to authorities.

Chief U.S. District Judge John D. Levy sentenced James Prescott III, 28, to 18 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Prescott pleaded guilty on April 27, 2021.

The charges stem from a September 2020 incident in which the Brunswick Police Department received a call from a burglary victim. The victim reported that his vehicle had been burglarized and his firearm was taken from it. A witness described a male wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black pants, and a blue hospital mask, whom he saw in the parking lot approximately 15 feet away from the vehicle.

A short time later, officers with the Topsham Police Department encountered a male matching the description provided by the burglary victim. During the contact, officers identified the male as Prescott and recovered the stolen firearm from him. Prescott was prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law because in 2015 he had been convicted of Theft by Receiving Stolen Property, a crime that was punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Brunswick and Topsham police departments investigated this case as part of the 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.

The case highlights the importance of community vigilance and cooperation in preventing and addressing violent crime. The Brunswick Police Department and the Topsham Police Department are to be commended for their swift action in recovering the stolen firearm and bringing the perpetrator to justice.

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