A Blue Hill resident has admitted in federal court to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. Caleb Rhine, 22, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Bangor after prosecutors said he lied on a required federal form when attempting to buy a gun.
Court records show that Rhine was indicted in Hancock County Superior Court on June 8, 2023, for aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs. Despite being under indictment, Rhine tried to buy a firearm from a federally licensed dealer in Ellsworth on May 5, 2024. As part of the purchase process, he filled out Form 4473 from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), which asks if the buyer is currently under indictment for a felony or any crime punishable by more than one year in prison. Rhine answered “No” to this question and was able to complete the purchase several days later.
Rhine now faces up to ten years in prison, a fine as high as $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Sentencing will take place after completion of an investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. The final sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines along with other legal factors.
The case was investigated by both ATF and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office.
According to officials, this prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative led by the Department of Justice that focuses resources on combating illegal immigration and eliminating transnational criminal organizations and violent crime through collaboration between agencies such as OCDETFs and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
“Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).”
