FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
AUSA VICKIE E. LEDUC or
MARCIA MURPHY at 410-209-4885
MARCH 14, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOOTBALL COACH PLEADS GUILTY
Threatened A Referee After He Stopped a Youth Football Game
Greenbelt, Maryland - Aaron Timothy McCown, age 31, of Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to knowingly receiving an explosive, that is, a loaded pistol, intending to use it to intimidate the referee at a youth football game, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to the plea agreement, on September 22, 2007, a series of youth football games were taking place at Aspen Hill Park in Montgomery County, Maryland. After some inappropriate conduct during one of the games, the referee terminated the game early. McCown, who was a coach for one of the teams involved, threatened the referee, then proceeded to the parking lot, where he retrieved a black bag containing a Highpoint .45 pistol, loaded with four rounds of ammunition. McCown walked back onto the field towards the referee, holding the bag containing the weapon. When police arrived on the scene McCown returned to the parking lot, placed the black bag containing the firearm and ammunition into the bed of a pickup truck, and fled the area. Police officers located the black bag containing the loaded gun in the bed of the pickup truck.
McCown faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Deborah K. Chasanow has scheduled sentencing for May12, 2008 at 2:00 p.m.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Maryland National Capital Park Police - Montgomery County Division for their investigative work. Mr. Rosenstein commended Assistant United States Attorney Michele Sartori, who is prosecuting the case.