Portland Man Sentenced on Federal Gun and Drug Charges

PORTLAND, Maine:  A Portland man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for possessing cocaine base with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, Acting U.S. Attorney Donald E. Clark announced.

U.S. District Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Alexander Burnham, 22, to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Burnham pleaded guilty in October 2020.

According to court records, on April 7, 2020, Burnham accidently shot himself in the leg with a Smith & Wesson 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. While being driven to the hospital for the injury, he threw the loaded firearm and crack cocaine out the window of the vehicle. He was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior felony convictions. 

The FBI Safe Streets Task Force and the Westbrook Police Department investigated the case.