Steven Thomas Boehle, Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person, Texas 2017

Austin Man Indicted on Federal Firearms Charge

A 50-year-old Austin man has been hit with federal charges after authorities discovered he was in possession of multiple firearms while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance, announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Christopher Combs, San Antonio Division.

The indictment alleges that on April 12, 2017, Steven Thomas Boehle was in possession of three semi-automatic pistols while being an unlawful user of a controlled substance.

According to court records, last month, FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) agents received information that an individual, subsequently identified as the defendant, was planning to conduct a mass shooting.

On April 12, 2017, a State search warrant stemming from a narcotics investigation was executed at Boehle’s residence. At that time, authorities seized the three firearms and over one thousand rounds of ammunition.

A federal search warrant was executed on April 14, 2017, at a storage unit in Austin that was leased by Boehle. Agents recovered ten long guns (rifles and shotguns) during the execution of that search warrant.

Boehle faces up to ten years in federal prison upon conviction. Yesterday, a federal magistrate judge in Austin set bond at $10,000 for Boehle. Boehle remains in custody while the U.S. District Court reviews the release order. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks. No hearings have been scheduled at this time.

The FBI JTTF conducted this investigation with assistance from the Austin Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Gregg N. Sofer is prosecuting this case on behalf of the Government.

It is essential to note that an indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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