Windsor Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm

BANGOR, Maine: A Windsor man pleaded guilty on June 9, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Bangor to being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to court records, on September 1, 2024, a deputy with the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office observed Shawn Merrill, 40, riding in a vehicle as a passenger. The deputy was aware that Merrill had a warrant for his arrest and was on state probation. After stopping the vehicle, the deputy searched it and located a pistol in the center console. Merrill admitted that his DNA and fingerprints would likely be on the firearm as he had previously handled it. Merrill is prohibited from possessing firearms as a result of prior felony convictions, including a Maine robbery conviction.

Merrill faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with assistance from the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office.

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.

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