Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Mark White, 28, of Searsmont, Maine, pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to providing false information during the purchase of two firearms. 

 

According to court records, on January 31, 2017, White sought to purchase a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol from a federally licensed firearms dealer.  In doing so, he completed a Firearms Transaction Record form in which he falsely reported that he was the actual purchaser of the firearm.  On February 6, 2017, White began the purchase of a Glock 9 millimeter pistol from the same federally licensed dealer, again claiming he was the actual purchaser of the firearm.  White completed the purchase of each firearm after a background check.  On both occasions, White was actually buying the firearms for another individual.

 

White faces up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. 

 

The case was investigated by the Massachusetts State Police 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 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.