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Press Release

Vinalhaven Man Faces Up to 10 Years Following Guilty Plea for Illegal Possession of a Firearm

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Maine

BANGOR, Maine: A Vinalhaven man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, in June 2022, investigators arrested an individual on a federal arrest warrant at the Fairfield Inn in Bangor. When the individual asked if he could get money from his room, agents entered the room in the individual’s presence to retrieve the money with his consent. Investigators found John Dinius, 56, in the room, and observed a magazine for a gun on the bathroom counter. When investigators asked Dinius where the guns were located, he directed them to a bag containing a loaded .45 caliber pistol and a .38 caliber revolver. He admitted he had hidden the bag to get the guns out of sight. A 2004 conviction in Massachusetts precluded Dinius from possessing a firearm.

Dinius faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. 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 Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.

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Contact

Joel Casey, Assistant United States Attorney (207-945-0373)

Updated April 7, 2023

Topic
Firearms Offenses