FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
April
23, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CARROLL COUNTY MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO ILLEGALLY POSSESSING FIREARMS WHILE UNDER A RESTRAINING ORDER
Baltimore, Maryland - Antoin Jerrold Newman, age 38, of New Windsor, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to possession of a firearm by a person subject to a court order restraining him from threatening an intimate partner, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to the plea agreement, on May 4, 2008, Newman was arrested by the Taneytown Police, Carroll County, Maryland for assaulting his former wife. On May 12, 2008, a protective order was issued by the District Court of Maryland for Carroll County establishing that Newman and his ex-wife were to have no contact with each other except to facilitate child visitation. On November 13, 2008, the Carroll County State’s Attorney’s Office was advised that there were photographs of Newman holding what appeared to be firearms on his MySpace computer web site. Newman was prohibited from possessing firearms based on a previous conviction for a handgun violation, as well as based on his being subject to the pending restraining order. Federal agents reviewed the pictures, which showed Antoin Newman in various poses, at times wearing a ski mask and holding what appeared to be weapons. The caption under one of the pictures read: “something for my ex.”
A search of Newman’s residence on November 17, 2008, recovered the two rifles Newman is holding in the pictures, a .30 Caliber Chinese bolt action carbine rifle and a .30 Caliber Universal semi-automatic carbine rifle.
Newman faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Chief U.S. District Judge Benson E. Legg has scheduled sentencing for July 9, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives , the Taneytown Police Department, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office and Carroll County State’s Attorney Jerry Barnes and his office for their assistance in this investigation and prosecution. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorney Bonnie S. Greenberg, who is prosecuting the case.