John William Loar III, 53, of Bushwood
John William Loar III, 53, of Bushwood, was sentenced on November 1, 2024, to eighteen months behind bars following his guilty plea to charges of illegally possessing firearms despite a previous felony conviction. Loar, convicted of assault in 2009, faced multiple charges after authorities discovered firearms and ammunition at his residence, which he was legally prohibited from possessing.
The investigation began in October of 2023, when authorities received a tip suggesting that Loar was unlawfully in possession of firearms. Officers from the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office initiated an inquiry, confirming Loar’s prior conviction of second-degree assault, which rendered him ineligible to own or possess any firearms. To corroborate the tip, investigators reviewed social media posts where Loar shared images and comments that implied recent hunting activities.
According to court documents, Loar’s Facebook profile included posts with images of firearms and statements about hunting. One photo from October 2023 showed a rifle barrel in a wooded area, while another post described a hunting trip in Western Maryland. These posts fueled investigators’ suspicions that Loar might still have access to firearms.
Armed with a search warrant, members of the Firearms Enforcement Unit conducted a search of Loar’s home on Valley Drive in Bushwood on November 22, 2023. While Loar was not present during the search, his wife cooperated with authorities. She initially stated that all firearms had been legally transferred to her and relocated to a home in La Plata, three years earlier. However, upon further questioning, she admitted she had little knowledge of the firearms’ specific locations, and she seemed surprised to learn that firearms were found in the residence.
Remington Sportsman 12-gauge shotgun
Remington 700 7mm rifle
Remington 700 .308 rifle
Ruger Red Hawk .44 caliber revolver
Authorities also seized various types of ammunition. Court records reveal that these firearms had originally been seized from Loar by the Charles County Sheriff’s Office in 2020 as part of a protective order case. Loar had later provided written notice to the sheriff’s office that the firearms were transferred to his wife, with her written acknowledgment that Loar was barred from accessing them.
Despite these measures, the discovery of firearms within Loar’s residence, combined with his social media activity, led investigators to conclude that Loar had access to and control over the weapons.
Loar was ultimately charged with:
Possession of a Rifle/Shotgun with Felony Conviction (felony)
Illegal Possession of a Regulated Firearm (misdemeanor)
Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person
He pleaded guilty to the first two charges on July 12, 2024.
On November 1, 2024, the St. Mary’s County Circuit Court sentenced him to ten years in prison for the felony charge of possessing a rifle/shotgun with a felony conviction, suspending all but 18 months and ordering five years of supervised probation upon release. He also received a five-year sentence for the misdemeanor of illegally possessing a regulated firearm, to be served consecutively, though this sentence was fully suspended with probation conditions.
Judge Joseph Michael Stanalonis presided over the sentencing and ordered the jail term to begin immediately on November 1, 2024.
