PORT ANGELES — The former administrator of a Facebook group that targeted alleged criminals has been sentenced to community service for unlawful possession of an illegal short-barreled shotgun.
Adam Chamberlin, 44, was sentenced Tuesday to 30 days in jail, all but one converted to community service, the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced.
Chamberlin received one day credit for time served and was ordered to pay $800 in court fees, according to the minutes of the sentencing hearing.
Chamberlin was convicted by a Clallam County jury April 3.
Port Angeles police said they found a sawed-off shotgun in Chamberlin’s dresser drawer while executing a search warrant last October, court papers said.
Police were investigating stolen cellphones and sexual photographs of two people that had been posted to the defunct “Clallam County Criminal Watch 2” Facebook group when they discovered the illegal weapon, according to the affidavit for probable cause.
At trial, Chamberlin testified that he had owned the gun for about 25 years and did not know it was illegal, saying he had been in the military, prosecutors said.
It is illegal to possess a shotgun with one or more barrels less than 18 inches long under state law, Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michele Devlin said in a Wednesday news release.
Chamberlin’s shotgun had an 11.5-inch barrel, police said.
The Facebook page that Chamberlin administered sought to “enable concerned citizens to identify active criminals and drug dealers,” according to Chamberlin’s GoFundMe page.
Previous counts of first-degree computer trespass, disclosing intimate images and third-degree possession of stolen property were dismissed March 16.
Chamberlin, who had no prior felony history, faced a standard sentencing range of one to three months for the firearm conviction under the state Sentencing Reform Act.
The Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office requested a 60-day sentence.
“The state also noted the jail had expressed difficulty in housing Mr. Chamberlin because of concerns for his safety,” Devlin said.
As a result of his conviction, Chamberlin cannot legally own, use or possess a firearm unless his rights to do so are restored, Devlin said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.