An Augusta man was sentenced Monday to eight months in prison in federal District Court in Bangor for lying in order to buy a pistol from a federally licensed firearms dealer.
Richard Quattrone bought a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .380-caliber pistol on March 10, 2017, from Audette’s Inc. in Winthrop. He intentionally wrote down an address that was not his current one and indicated he was not an unlawful user of marijuana or other controlled substances, while he “was an unlawful user of marijuana” at the time, according to his indictment.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives prohibits the sale of firearms and ammunition to those who use marijuana, which remains illegal under federal law. The federal laws still apply even though marijuana use by adults in Maine was legalized in a 2016 state referendum vote.
Quattrone, 50, pleaded guilty to the charge in August 2018. Under a plea agreement signed last June, Quattrone waived his right to appeal any imprisonment of less than 18 months.
Convictions on charges of making false statements to firearms dealers can carry penalties of up to 10 years in prison.
Quattrone was among five central Mainers indicted in April 2018 on firearms charges.
In addition to eight months in prison, Quattrone also was sentenced to three years of supervised release, according to U.S. Attorney Halsey B. Frank.
Question 11e on Form 4473 – which asks if the buyer is “an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana … or any other controlled substance?” – now has a warning printed below it in bold type that states: “The use or possession of marijuana remains unlawful under Federal law regardless of whether it has been legalized or decriminalized for medicinal or recreational purposes in the state where you reside.”
Keith Edwards — 621-5647
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