New York Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years on Heroin and Firearms Charges

Bangor, Maine:  United States Attorney Halsey B. Frank announced that Reginald McBride, 41, of New York, New York, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. to 13 years and 4 months in jail and 5 years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing heroin with the intent to distribute it, and using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense.  The charges arose out of a June 26, 2016 shooting at the Walmart in Augusta, Maine.  The defendant was convicted of these charges on March 14, 2018 after a three-day jury trial.

The evidence at trial revealed that on June 26, 2016, the defendant drove a vehicle to the Augusta Walmart carrying over 40 grams of heroin and a 9-mm pistol. When the defendant got to the Walmart, he engaged in a firefight with another individual. After the shooting, the defendant fled in his vehicle. Officers located the defendant and recovered the heroin.  Officers later seized a loaded revolver, two more firearms, ammunition, a speed loader, and a scope from the vehicle.

Trial evidence revealed that the defendant used numerous aliases including “Kweasia McBride,” “Reggie McBride,” “Reginald Washington,” “Benjamin McBride,” “John Doe,” and “Sunny.”  The defendant had prior felony convictions from Virginia and New York under a combination of these aliases.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Augusta Police Department; the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency; the Maine State Police Crime Laboratory; and the Bangor and Hallowell Police Departments.