A Waterville man who formerly lived in Winthrop will spend 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of ammunition.

Brian T. Mulkern, 35, was sentenced Thursday in U.S. District Court in Bangor. Mulkern had pleaded guilty to the charge on Aug. 15, 2015.

Mulkern had previous felony convictions for burglary and robbery and attempted trafficking in heroin.

He most recently had received a 28-month sentence in state prison for the trafficking offense, which occurred in February 2012 in Winthrop.

Mulkern was arrested Aug. 26, 2014, in possession of 10 rounds of 9-millimeter ammunition, which the U.S. Attorney’s Office said he stole during a daytime burglary of a residence where an 11-year-old girl was home alone.

At the time, Winthrop police said Mulkern surprised the girl, who called police and then fled to a neighbor’s home. A Winthrop officer then tackled Mulkern as he tried to get on his motorcycle to flee.

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“The defendant was captured by local police at the scene of the burglary with the ammunition in his backpack,” the prosecutor’s office said in a news release. “He told police that he tried to steal a handgun located in a safe in the home during the burglary. He was unable to open the safe.”

U.S. District Court Judge John A. Woodcock Jr. found that Mulkern was subject to the Armed Career Criminal Act because of his criminal history, and the 15-year sentence — imposed as 180 months — was the minimum under that act.

The 15-year prison sentence is to be followed by five years of supervised release.

Mulkern’s attorney, Jon A. Haddow Jr., said Mulkern addressed the judge at the sentencing hearing.

“He said he was sorry that his (drug) addiction had led him to the conduct and to the life he’s led,” Haddow said.

The prosecutor was Assistant U.S. Attorney Jodi B. Mullis. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Winthrop Police Department.

Betty Adams — 621-5631

badams@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @betadams


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