Richard R. Hemingway, 34, of Ludlow, Maine, is going to prison for buying guns under false pretenses—and funneling them straight to a cross-border smuggling operation. Sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Lance E. Walker, Hemingway will serve 12 months and a day behind bars, followed by two years of supervised release. The plea, entered on August 21, 2018, capped a federal case rooted in deception and firepower.
Hemingway admitted to lying on a Firearms Transaction Record when he bought two AR-15 style rifles from a federally licensed dealer on October 4, 2017. He claimed he was the actual buyer. In reality, he was acting as a straw purchaser for David Allen Polchies. The weapons—a Windham Weaponry ‘WW-15’ and a Sig Sauer ‘MCX’, both .300BLK caliber—were never meant for Hemingway’s possession. They were destined for Canada, loaded with high-capacity drum magazines and 350 rounds of ammo.
The plot unraveled within hours. That same day, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers intercepted Polchies and Sharon Weeks at the border, caught red-handed trying to smuggle the firearms north. Both were arrested and later prosecuted in Canada, where the weapons and accessories could fuel violent crime. Hemingway’s name surfaced quickly, linking him directly to the illegal transfer.
U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank made the announcement from Bangor, Maine, underscoring that lying on a federal form to obtain a firearm isn’t a paperwork error—it’s a felony with real consequences. “Straw purchases feed underground gun markets and arm criminals,” Frank said. “This sentence sends a message: we’re watching, and we’re prosecuting.”
The investigation was led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with critical support from the CBSA. Intelligence sharing across borders exposed the chain of deception, from purchase to interception. The case was prosecuted under Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the DOJ’s nationwide push to dismantle violent crime networks through targeted enforcement.
Project Safe Neighborhoods doesn’t just focus on street-level offenders—it hits the supply chain. By cracking down on straw purchasers like Hemingway, federal prosecutors aim to dry up the flow of illegal firearms before they reach high-risk areas. The program pairs enforcement with local prevention, but today’s sentence proves the hammer still falls hard on those who play fast and loose with federal gun laws.
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