Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

DOJ seal

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney's Office
District of Maine
Darcie N. McElwee, United States Attorney
www.justice.gov/usao-me
For Immediate Release
Friday, April 19, 2024

Oxford Man Sentenced to 20 Months for Armed Confrontation with Police

Brandon Dearborn Was Prohibited From Firearm Possession Due to Felony Conviction

PORTLAND, Maine: An Oxford man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.

U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Brandon Dearborn, 31, to 20 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty on January 31, 2024.

According to court records, in August 2022, a 911 caller reported a man, later identified as Dearborn, was observed brandishing a firearm outside an apartment building in the town of Mexico. Officers confronted Dearborn and instructed him to drop the weapon, a Ruger .22 pistol. Dearborn instead urged the officers to shoot him and raised the pistol towards them, prompting the officers to fire, striking Dearborn multiple times. At the time of his arrest, Dearborn was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felony drug conviction in the Oxford County Superior Court.

The FBI and Maine State Police investigated the case.

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.

###

Contact

Johnathan Nathans, Assistant United States Attorney (207-780-3257)

ATF.gov

An official website of the U.S. Department of Justice

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov