PORTLAND, Maine – Zachary Spinney, 36, of Kittery, Maine, will spend the next three years and two months behind bars after being sentenced today for a brazen disregard of both the law and a domestic abuse order. Chief Judge Nancy Torresen of the U.S. District Court handed down the 38-month prison sentence, followed by three years of supervised release, after Spinney admitted to possessing a firearm while explicitly prohibited from doing so.
The case, brought by Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy, stems back to July 2016. Court records detail how Spinney and a girlfriend jointly purchased a Ruger AR556, a 5.56mm semi-automatic rifle, along with a disturbing quantity – over 180 rounds – of ammunition. Surveillance footage from the licensed firearms dealer clearly shows Spinney hauling the ammunition from the store, a precursor to a dangerous day.
Later that same day, Spinney didn’t hesitate to test his new weapon, firing the rifle at a sand pit in Eliot, Maine. This wasn’t a simple case of legal gun ownership; Spinney was already under the constraints of a protection from abuse order, issued in March 2016, which specifically barred him from possessing any firearms. He knowingly and willfully violated that order, putting others at risk.
The prosecution successfully argued that Spinney’s history of domestic violence warranted a harsher sentence. Chief Judge Torresen, clearly concerned for public safety, added five months to the top of the federal sentencing guideline range. The judge didn’t mince words, emphasizing the need to protect potential victims from Spinney’s volatile behavior. This wasn’t just about a gun; it was about a pattern of abuse and a clear danger to the community.
The investigation, a collaborative effort between the Kittery Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), pieced together the evidence that led to Spinney’s guilty plea on November 28, 2016. Law enforcement officials meticulously reviewed security footage, traced the firearm purchase, and documented the circumstances surrounding the rifle’s use. Their work ensured that Spinney faced justice for his actions.
Spinney’s case serves as a stark reminder that violating a protection from abuse order, particularly when combined with illegal firearm possession, carries serious consequences. This sentence sends a clear message: domestic violence will not be tolerated, and those who put others at risk will be held accountable. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on similar instances of gun violence and abuse throughout the federal system.
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Key Facts
- State: Maine
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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