Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Portland, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Joshua Knight, 35, of Brunswick, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Nancy Torresen to 10 years in prison and three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon. Knight pleaded guilty to the charge on January 5, 2018.

According to court records and evidence presented at the sentencing hearing, in August 2016, Knight possessed a Remington 12 gauge semi-automatic sawed-off shotgun at his Brunswick residence that he once held to the head of a girlfriend and threatened: “This is what it feels like right before you die.”  Knight was prohibited from possession the firearm because he had prior Maine felony convictions for aggravated marijuana furnishing and operating under the influence with priors.

In imposing the statutory maximum sentence, Chief Judge Torresen said: “Your criminal history shows trends that are very disturbing… the things you have done are, frankly, heinous.”

The investigation was conducted by the Brunswick Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made turning the tide of rising violent crime in a America a top priority.  In October 2017, as part of a series of actions to address this crime trend, Attorney General Sessions announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop a district crime reduction strategy that incorporates the lessons learned since PSN launched in 2001.

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