Joshua Paul Stewart Turner, Straw Purchase of a Firearm, South Carolina 2024

CHARLESTON, S.C. – A straw purchase of a firearm has landed two men in hot water. Joshua Paul Stewart Turner, 25, of Summerville, and Noah Olen Fowler, 26, of Moncks Corner, have each been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to straw-purchase a firearm.

Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Fowler, knowing Turner was prohibited from possessing and/or purchasing a firearm, purchased a firearm for Turner. During the purchase of the firearm, Fowler falsely certified on the ATF Form 4473 that he was purchasing the firearm for himself. Evidence also revealed that Turner sent Fowler information on which firearm to purchase and, further, paid him for the firearm via CashApp.

When Fowler purchased the firearm for Turner, he was employed as a correctional officer at the Berkeley County Detention Center. The incident highlights the dangers of straw purchasing and the importance of following proper procedures when purchasing firearms.

‘Straw purchases undermine our efforts to keep firearms out of the hands of those legally prohibited from possessing them,’ said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. ‘We’ll continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute individuals who attempt to circumnavigate the proper procedure to purchase firearms.’

‘Straw purchasing is a dangerous tactic that circumvents our laws and puts guns in the hands of prohibited individuals,’ said ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. ‘Whether you are the prohibited individual in possession of a firearm or the individual who lied to supply that firearm, both are considered threats to public safety and both face serious consequences.’

United States District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks sentenced Turner to 20 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. Fowler was sentenced to a time-served sentence, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI Columbia field office, and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower is prosecuting the case.

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