PORTLAND, ME – Lawrence Young, 54, of Lebanon, Maine, is heading to federal prison for 2½ years after being caught red-handed with a shotgun he wasn’t legally allowed to touch. U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby handed down the sentence today, solidifying a guilty plea entered back on September 30, 2014.
The case stems from a May 1, 2014 incident in Acton, Maine, where Young was discovered hunting with a 16-gauge shotgun. It wasn’t his first rodeo with gun laws, though. Court records reveal Young was already a prohibited person, barred from owning firearms due to previous felony convictions.
Specifically, Young had already been convicted of illegally possessing a firearm in 2013 – a clear warning he apparently ignored. Adding insult to injury, he also violated conditions of release in 2011, further cementing his status as someone the law deems unfit to wield a weapon. This wasn’t a simple mistake; it was a repeat offense, and the court treated it as such.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Conley prosecuted the case, building a solid case against Young. The investigation was a coordinated effort, bringing together the Maine State Police, the Maine Warden Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). These agencies worked together to ensure Young faced the consequences of his actions.
The sentence sends a clear message: Maine, and the federal government, take illegal firearm possession seriously, especially when committed by repeat offenders. Young’s attempt to skirt the law while hunting in Acton landed him a lengthy prison term, and serves as a warning to others contemplating similar offenses.
Contact information for Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Conley is available at (207) 780-3257. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, led by Thomas E. Delahanty II, continues to prioritize cases involving firearms and violent crime, working to keep Maine communities safe from those who would disregard the law.
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