Virgil Charles Buzzell Jr., 20, of Portland, was sentenced last week in U.S. District Court in Portland to more than eight years in prison for his role in a Buxton home invasion on May 6.

U.S. District Court Judge D. Brock Hornby imposed the sentence following Buzzell’s guilty plea in June.

Buxton police officer Jason McClure was the first to respond to the incident at a farmhouse on Webster Road. Buzzell was arrested during an interview on May 9 in Cumberland County Jail. He had turned himself in.

U.S. Attorney Paula D. Silsby praised the Buxton Police Department and several other agencies in the investigation.

Buzzell pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute marijuana and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to the government’s evidence, Buzzell, along with Joshua Seavey, 18, Daniel Gilligan, 20, and two juveniles, approached a Buxton home intending to steal marijuana from Kristifer Hutchins. Buzzell was carrying a .45 caliber handgun, and Seavey was carrying a sawed-off shotgun.

Finding the front door locked, Seavey fired the shotgun at the front door, but it did not open until Buzzell kicked it in, according to the U.S. attorney’s office. Once inside, Buzzell followed Hutchins upstairs, looking for marijuana. Seavey came to help Buzzell, and Hutchins grabbed for the shotgun, which discharged. Buzzell shot the .45 caliber handgun at Hutchins, striking him in the thigh. After Hutchins was shot, Seavey removed a handgun from Hutchins’ waistband.

Throughout this period, one of the juveniles found about a pound of marijuana before yelling to his colleagues to get out of the house. Buzzell, Seavey, Gilligan and the two juveniles then ran out of the house. Seavey took Hutchins’ handgun with him.

Earlier this week, Judge Hornby sentenced Gilligan to more than seven years in prison for his role in this offense. Both Seavey and Hutchins are yet to be sentenced.