Machias Man Sentenced to 2 Years for Unlawfully Possessing Firearm

BANGOR, Maine:  A Machias man was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Bangor today for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Eric Legare, 37, to two years in prison and two years of supervised release. Legare pleaded guilty on July 21, 2022.

According to court records, Legare was a passenger in a vehicle stopped in East Machias by Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputies when a firearm was found inside the vehicle. Legare admitted that he had handled the firearm and that his DNA would likely be on it. Legare is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2017 conviction for manslaughter.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. The Washington County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the case.

Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. To learn more information about PSN, visit www.justice.gov/psn.

 ###