A Dallas man has been sentenced to federal prison for a firearms violation in the Eastern District of Texas, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

 

Charles Jerome Bowman, 54, pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2020, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison today by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan.

 

“Keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous criminals is essential to protecting our communities,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.  “Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that the possession of firearms by convicted felons will be aggressively prosecuted.”

  

According to information presented in court, on March 24, 2019, a deputy with the Cooke County Sheriff's Office responded to a call regarding a reckless driver on Interstate 35. The deputy stopped the reported vehicle and identified the driver as Bowman. The deputy requested that Bowman exit the vehicle to issue a warning for defective equipment and because Bowman was showing signs of intoxication.  Bowman refused to comply and became combative.  He was wearing a holster containing a Phoenix Arms .25 caliber pistol.  Bowman was subsequently arrested and transported to the Cooke County Jail. Upon arrival at the jail, Bowman threated to kill two of the officers.  A criminal history check revealed that Bowman had numerous prior felony convictions, including robbery, aggravated assault, and aggravated robbery.  Bowman was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 9, 2019. 

 

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Cooke County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.