New Hampshire Registered Sex Offender Sentenced for Attempting to Purchase a Gun in Maine

PORTLAND, Maine:  A New Hampshire man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for making false statements to acquire a firearm.

Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Brandon Pinard, 33, to time served, approximately 9 months, followed by three years of supervised release. Pinard pleaded guilty on November 19, 2024.

According to court records, in May 2024, the Seabrook (N.H.) Police Department received a firearms denial notice showing that Pinard was denied a purchase of a long gun in Bath, Maine. When attempting to purchase the Daniel Defense DDM4 assault rifle, Pinard listed a Dover, N.H. address and checked “No” next to the question on the ATF Form 4473 that read, “Have you ever been convicted in any court, including a military court, of a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year, or are you a current member of the military who has been charged with violations(s) of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and whose charge(s) have been referred to a general court-martial?” At the time of the attempted purchase, Pinard was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2013 conviction in Massachusetts for a felony sex offense. He had been a registered sex offender in Seabrook since relocating from Dover in November 2022. 

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Seabrook (N.H.) Police Department.

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