Blue Hill Man Pleads Guilty to Making a False Statement During Purchase of a Firearm (DOJ)

BANGOR, Maine: A Blue Hill man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm.

According to court records, on June 8, 2023, Caleb Rhine, 22, was indicted in Hancock County Superior Court on one count of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs. On May 5, 2024, Rhine, while still under indictment, attempted to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Ellsworth. To make the purchase, Rhine filled out a Form 4473 required by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In response to 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 falsely checked the box "No." Rhine was able to successfully buy the gun a few days later based, in part, on his representations on the ATF form.

Rhine faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

ATF and the Hancock County Sheriff's Office investigated the case.

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).

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