Man stole three pistols from a shop, feds say. A Gatorade bottle led to his arrest
A man broke into a hardware shop in Maine and stole three pistols out of a display case, federal prosecutors said. Now, he’s going to prison.
After cracking open the display case with a pry bar, the man disappeared from the Pineo’s True Value store in Machias on Oct. 15, 2021, according to court documents from July 2022.
During the investigation, a “Cool Blue” Gatorade bottle was found in a field next to the store, court documents show.
The Gatorade bottle was tested for DNA in a state police crime lab and ultimately identified the man as the suspect — resulting in his arrest on July 20, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine.
The man, 29, of Lubec, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison, the attorney’s office announced in a June 5 news release. This comes after he pleaded guilty for stealing firearms from a federal firearms licensee, witness tampering and retaliating against a witness, officials said.
McClatchy News contacted his attorney for comment on June 5 and didn’t receive an immediate response. Although prosecutors have identified the man, McClatchy News isn’t naming him because he’s not accused of a crime causing direct physical harm.
When the man learned he was a suspect in the case in July 2022, he threatened to harm a “confidential source” who gave law enforcement information about him, prosecutors said. He’s also accused of challenging this individual to fight him.
He “later asked the confidential source to testify for him in his case,” according to prosecutors.
The man’s prison sentence will be followed by three years of supervised release.
Machias is about 160 miles northeast of Augusta.
Hiker found charred remains near a creek in 1970, CA cops say. Now they’re identified
Lawyer accused of being ‘serial rapist’ arrested after genetic genealogy tests, FBI says
Unidentified sailor killed in Pearl Harbor attack finally has a name, agency says
