Graham Anthony Bowden, Illicit Firearm Possession, Montana 2025

MISSOULA – A 49-year-old Plains man is behind bars after being sentenced to 84 months in prison for his involvement in illicit firearm possession, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot.

Graham Anthony Bowden pleaded guilty in November 2025 to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and two counts of possession of an unregistered silencer, following a federal investigation that uncovered a cache of firearms and silencers at his residence.

According to court documents, law enforcement officers encountered Bowden on multiple occasions in 2024, observing him armed with firearms or possessing firearm accessories. A federal search warrant was subsequently obtained to search Bowden’s camper residence, which was parked on the property of a friend who also owned a freestanding home.

Agents located eight firearms belonging to Bowden, along with two unregistered silencers and assorted ammunition. During an interview, Bowden admitted to owning the firearms and acknowledged that he had signed paperwork related to his California convictions, which prohibited him from possessing firearms.

Bowden claimed that he thought his rights had been automatically restored, but produced no paperwork to support this assertion. He also admitted to possessing the two unregistered silencers, stating that one came with a firearm he purchased and the other was a blank.

Bowden’s California convictions, which included six counts of robbery in the second degree with a firearms enhancement, date back to January 6, 2012, when he was sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was paroled from custody in 2020.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case, with the assistance of the ATF, Plains Police Department, and Sanders County Sheriff’s Department, which conducted the investigation.

Graham Anthony Bowden is set to serve 84 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for his involvement in illicit firearm possession.

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