Biddeford Man Sentenced on Assault of United States Marshals and Firearms Charges

PORTLAND, ME—United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty, II announced today that Arien L’Italien, 22, of Biddeford, Maine, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen to 18 years and four months’ imprisonment to be followed by five years of supervised release for assault on a federal officer, illegal possession of a firearm by a felon, and using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. L’Italien pled guilty to the charges on March 26, 2012.

Court records reveal that in January 2012, deputies from the United States Marshals Service’s Maine Violent Offender Task Force intended to arrest L’Italien, who was the subject of an arrest warrant, on Mellen Street in Portland, Maine. When marshals ordered L’Italien to stop, he began to run and then fired a Hi-Point .40 caliber handgun at the marshals, who returned fire. L’Italien was struck in the leg. He was transported to Maine Medical Center where he was treated. No law enforcement officers were hit in the exchange of gunfire. L’Italien was prohibited from possessing the handgun because of a May 2008 felony conviction for assault on an officer and a May 2011 felony conviction for theft.

In imposing the sentence today, Judge Torresen recited a long list of L’Italien’s previous criminal convictions beginning when L’Italien was 13 years old and told L’Italien, “You are a very violent young man, and it is only for the grace of God that you haven’t killed someone.”

The investigation was conducted by the United States Marshal;s Service; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and the Portland Police Department.