Bangor, Maine: Acting United States Attorney Richard W. Murphy announced that Walter Botelho, 52, of Brewer, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 2½ years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms. Botelho pleaded guilty on Sept. 2, 2016.
According to court records, on May 2, 2016, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the defendant’s Brewer residence and recovered, among other things, two rifles and two shotguns. The defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions for first-degree manslaughter (New York), receiving stolen goods (Rhode Island), and assault and battery (Massachusetts).
In imposing a sentence, Judge Woodcock noted that Botelho had “a problem beating up women," noted that some of Botelho’s prior criminal conduct was “chilling," and warned that if he did not turn his life around, his dream of having a stable life in Maine would “turn into a nightmare for others."
The investigation was conducted by the Brewer Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
