Seabrook man charged with firing gun outside Hampton Beach bar faces 10-40 years in jail
HAMPTON — A Seabrook man who allegedly fired a gun after being kicked out of a Hampton Beach bar is facing a 10- to 40-year jail sentence after a grand jury indicted him on the charge of being an armed career criminal.
Timothy Heald, 43, was indicted by a Rockingham County grand jury this month stemming from his Jan. 6 arrest by Hampton police where he fired a gun outside the L Street Tavern at Hampton Beach.
An indictment is not an indication of guilt or innocence, it just means the grand jury found enough evidence to warrant a trial.
The indictment alleges Heald violated RSA 159:3-a, the armed career criminals statute.
The law states no person who has been convicted of three or more qualifying felonies is allowed to possess a pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun or any other firearm. Qualifying felonies include homicide, assault, sexual assault, arson, burglary, robbery and extortion.
Heald was previously convicted of second-degree assault in 1996, attempted burglary in 1996 and first-degree assault in 2001, all out of Strafford County.
Read about the January incident: Seabrook man charged after gun fired at Hampton Beach
According to the police affidavit by officer Matthew Robinson, an employee said a man wearing a red flannel shirt allegedly fired the gun outside after he was removed from the L Street Tavern.
When officers were called to the scene, they found the man matching the employee's description, Heald, walking on Ocean Boulevard.
Heald told officers that he did not have a firearm but did have a knife, according to the affidavit.
Heald was taken into custody as officers investigated the scene of the shooting. A single 9mm casing was located in the street and an empty handgun holster was found tucked into a vending machine.
Police said they were able to track Heald's footprints in the snow from the vending machine to Ocean Boulevard.
Heald was previously indicted in the same incident on charges of reckless conduct with a deadly weapon, felon in possession of a dangerous weapon, and falsifying physical evidence.
If convicted of being an armed career criminal, Heald faces a minimum sentence of 10 years with a maximum of up to 40 years. He also faces a $25,000 fine.
Heald is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charge on June 18.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Seabrook man charged in Hampton Beach with being armed career criminal
