Contact: Jonathan R. Chapman
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Criminal Chief
(207) 780-3257

Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced today that Arien
L'Italien, 22, of Biddeford, Maine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by U.S. District Judge Nancy
Torresen to 18 years and 4 months imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release for
assault on a federal officer, illegal possession of a firearm by a felon and using a firearm in furtherance
of a crime of violence. L'Italien pled guilty to the charges on March 26, 2012.

Court records reveal that in January 2012, deputies from the United States Marshal Service's
Maine Violent Offender Task Force intended to arrest L'Italien, who was the subject of an arrest
warrant, on Mellen Street in Portland, Maine. When marshals ordered L'Italien to stop, he began to run
and then fired a Hi-Point .40 caliber handgun at the marshals, who returned fire. L'Italien was struck in
the leg. He was transported to Maine Medical Center where he was treated. No law enforcement
officers were hit in the exchange of gunfire. L'Italien was prohibited from possessing the handgun
because of a May 2008 felony conviction for assault on an officer and a May 2011 felony conviction for
theft.

In imposing the sentence today, Judge Torresen recited a long list of L'Italien’s previous criminal
convictions beginning when L'Italien was 13 years old and told L'Italien, "You are a very violent young
man and it is only for the grace of God that you haven’t killed someone."

The investigation was conducted by the United States Marshal's Service, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Portland
Police Department.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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