Wiscasset Woman Sentenced for Illegally Purchasing a Firearm

BANGOR, Maine: A Wiscasset woman was sentenced today in federal court for making false statements during the purchase a firearm, U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee announced.

U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Laura Love, 44, to three years of probation. Love pleaded guilty on September 1, 2021.

According to court records, in April 2019, Love, formerly of the Augusta area, purchased a 9 mm pistol from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Windsor. When completing the sale, Love filled out a Firearms Transaction Record in which she falsely reported that she was the actual purchaser of the firearm. She was actually purchasing the firearm for someone else. It is a federal felony to knowingly make a false statement in connection with the purchase of a firearm from a federally licensed dealer.

This Augusta Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case.

The prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, community leaders and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. PSN is coordinated by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices in the 94 federal judicial districts throughout the 50 states and U.S. territories. PSN is customized to account for local violent crime problems and resources. Across all districts, PSN follows four key design elements of successful violent crime reduction initiatives: community engagement, prevention and intervention, focused and strategic enforcement, and accountability.

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