Blue Hill Man Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day for Making a False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm

BANGOR, Maine: A Blue Hill man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for making a false statement during purchase of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Caleb Rhine, 22, to 12 months and one day in prison and 3 years of supervised release.

According to court records, on June 8, 2023, Rhine was indicted in Hancock County Superior Court on one count of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs. On May 5, 2024, Rhine, while still under indictment, attempted to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Ellsworth. To make the purchase, Rhine filled out a Form 4473 required by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In response to the question, “Are you under indictment or information in any court for a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year . . .?,” Rhine falsely checked the box “No.” Rhine was able to successfully buy the gun a few days later based, in part, on his representations on the ATF form.

ATF and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

###