Jonathan Bowers, Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm, Maine 2016

State: Maine
Category: Violent Crime
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/pr/winthrop-man-sentenced-15-years-unlawfully-possessing-firearm" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

BANGOR, Maine – A Winthrop man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, a crime that has sparked concerns about public safety and the need for stricter gun laws.

Jonathan Bowers, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. on April 30, 2018 for violating federal laws prohibiting felons from possessing firearms.

According to court records, Bowers was caught on April 9, 2016 carrying a 9 mm pistol in a holster at a car repair shop in Chelsea, Maine. Surveillance footage captured him in possession of the pistol, which was later recovered by law enforcement officers.

Bowers was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his four felony convictions for burglary and three felony convictions for theft. Under the Armed Career Criminal Act, he was subject to a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence.

During his allocution, Bowers expressed remorse for his actions, stating, “Had I known what I was actually facing by possessing a gun I would have distanced myself as far as possible from them.”

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office. It was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program aimed at reducing violent crime by focusing enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partnering with locally based prevention and reentry programs.

The PSN program has been proven to be effective in reducing violent crime, and its focus on addressing the root causes of crime has led to lasting reductions in crime rates.

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