A Massachusetts man has been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Portland for firearm possession by a prohibited person. Jermaine Gillespie, 31, received a 72-month prison sentence followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to the charges on August 26, 2024.
Court records reveal that in September 2022, Biddeford police responded to reports of an individual smoking marijuana in a parked vehicle. Officers identified Gillespie and discovered he had bail conditions prohibiting marijuana use or possession. A search of the vehicle uncovered a 9 mm pistol. Gillespie's criminal history includes a 2013 conviction in Massachusetts for assault and battery with serious bodily injury, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and carrying a dangerous weapon, which prohibits him from possessing firearms.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Biddeford Police Department, investigated the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement and communities. The Department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021, focusing on fostering trust in communities, supporting violence prevention organizations, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring results.
For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.