PORTLAND, Maine — A 22-year-old Portland man was sentenced in federal court on Wednesday to 70 months in prison after pleading guilty to drug and weapons charges.
On April 7, 2020, Alexander Burnham accidentally shot himself in the ankle with a Smith & Wesson 9 mm semi-automatic pistol on Central Street in Westbrook. He then threw the loaded gun and crack cocaine out the window of a car as he was being driven to a Portland hospital, according to court records.
Burnham was charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
He was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior convictions for robbery, burglary, and reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, according to court documents.
The FBI and Westbrook Police Department investigated the case.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge George Z. Singal sentenced Burnham to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release.