Old Town Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm

BANGOR, Maine:  An Old Town man pleaded guilty in federal court today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

According to court records, in October 2021, a concerned citizen saw William Abney, 57, in possession of an AK-47 style rifle in the living room of Abney’s Old Town residence and notified the police. Based on this and other information, a search warrant was executed at Abney’s residence. During the execution of the search warrant, Abney admitted that he possessed an AK‑47. In Abney’s room, law enforcement found an AK-47 under the mattress and an AK-47 magazine full of ammunition. Abney has a 1999 conviction in U.S. District Court in Bangor for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Abney faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He also faces up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigation report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Old Town Police Department and the Brewer Police Department investigated the case. The Penobscot County District Attorney’s Office also assisted with the case.

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