Moses Okot, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Maine 2015

Portland Man Guilty of Firearms Charge in Maine

Moses Okot, a 28-year-old Portland man, has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy, Okot discharged a firearm in the city’s Old Port district on November 16, 2015, striking two people standing on the sidewalk.

Okot then fled the scene in a vehicle, which was followed by a Portland Police Officer to a residence in the city. The defendant was found hiding on a nearby third-story porch, and the firearm used in the shooting was discovered in the vehicle.

The investigation revealed that Okot was on state probation at the time of the shooting, having been convicted of felony murder in 2011. As a result, he was prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms.

Okot now faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. However, his plea agreement calls for a 10-year sentence to be served consecutively to a probation revocation sentence imposed in state court.

The investigation was conducted by the Portland Police and the Southern Maine Gang Task Force, which included agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Portland, South Portland, and Lewiston Police Departments.

Contact David B. Joyce, Assistant United States Attorney, at (207) 780-3257 for further information.

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