Yesterday, Michael Giampapa, a 33-year-old resident of South Yarmouth, entered a guilty plea to a firearm charge in federal court, stemming from an incident involving a domestic disturbance last year. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, the disturbance resulted when Giampapa barricaded himself in a basement, leading to a confrontation with law enforcement.

On the evening of March 16, 2022, police were dispatched to the scene after receiving reports of the disturbance. During the phone call Giampapa made to a family member while the standoff ensued, he admitted to having a gun. After the situation deescalated, officers arrested Giampapa and discovered a loaded .380 handgun hidden inside a cereal box in the basement. With this act, he violated federal law as he was already barred from possessing firearms due to prior convictions.

U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns is set to pass sentencing on December 18, 2024, which could result in a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment for Giampapa. However, such federal crime sentences often fall short of the maximum penalties. These decisions are influenced by guidelines provided by the United States Sentencing Commission and take into account several statutory factors.

Highlighted by Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy and other officials, the efforts leading to Giampapa's plea are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods and Project Guardian – both initiatives seeking to curb gun violence and enforce firearm laws vigorously. These projects aim to forge stronger collaborations among federal, state, and local law enforcement to mitigate the threat that gun crimes pose to the community. Charged with overseeing the prosecution of Giampapa's case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus belongs to the Major Crimes Unit.