Portland, Maine criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Smoking Marijuana in a Parked Car
Smoking Marijuana in a Parked Car Leads to 6-Year Sentence for Massachusetts Felon Found with a Gun
Jermaine Gillespie, 31, was indicted for felony possession of a firearm.
In September 2022, Biddeford police officers responded to a report that an individual was smoking marijuana in a parked vehicle. Responding officers identified Gillespie and learned that he had existing bail conditions that prohibited the use or possession of marijuana. After a search of the vehicle, the officers recovered a 9 mm pistol. Gillespie is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his conviction history which includes a 2013 conviction in Massachusetts for assault and battery with serious bodily injury, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a dangerous weapon.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the Biddeford Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods: This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.
Outcome:
Defendant was found guilty and sentenced to 72 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release