A South Paris woman pleaded guilty Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland to transferring a firearm to a felon, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Stephanie Knightly, 50, bought a pistol in Scarborough on Aug. 16, 2014, at the direction of Steven Piirainen, whom she knew to be a felon. Piirainen accompanied her to the sale and gave her cash for the purchase.
The next day, Piirainen stole a truck, engaged in a shootout with Maine State Police and was killed.
Before the shootout, Piirainen told Knightly that he knew his probation officer was going to arrest him soon and that he was “never going back” to prison. Piirainen had a long criminal record, and became increasingly desperate, the man’s daughter said.
Knightly faces as much as 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She will be sentenced at a future date.
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