An Augusta resident has been sentenced to six years in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm following a prior felony conviction. U.S. District Judge Nancy Torresen handed down the sentence to Raymond Lilly, 41, in Portland’s U.S. District Court. The sentence also includes three years of supervised release.
Lilly pleaded guilty on May 2, 2025, to being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court records, Augusta police encountered Lilly at an encampment in Mill Park in September 2023. Officers noticed a bottle of pills inside Lilly’s tent; Lilly admitted he did not have a prescription for the medication. After arresting him, officers found a Smith & Wesson model M&P 15, .22 caliber rifle in his tent.
Lilly had previous felony firearms convictions in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine and was prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case with support from the Augusta Police Department.
“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,” according to information provided by authorities. Additional details about Project Safe Neighborhoods can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psn.
