A man from Blue Hill, Maine, has been sentenced to just over a year in prison for providing false information during the purchase of a firearm. U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. handed down the sentence to Caleb Rhine, 22, in U.S. District Court in Bangor. Rhine will also serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.
Court records show that on June 8, 2023, Rhine was indicted in Hancock County Superior Court on a charge of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs. Despite being under indictment at the time, he attempted to buy a firearm from a federally licensed dealer in Ellsworth on May 5, 2024.
To complete the purchase, Rhine filled out Form 4473 required by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The form includes the question: “Are you under indictment or information in any court for a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year . . .?” Rhine checked “No,” which was not true given his pending drug charge. He was able to obtain the gun several days later based partly on this false statement.
The ATF and Hancock County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative that uses Department of Justice resources to address illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.
