Bridgeport Man Sentenced In Federal Illegal Gun Possession Case

BRIDGEPORT, CT — A 34-year-old Bridgeport man, who state police troopers wrestled a 9mm handgun away from during traffic stop, was sentenced Monday to 76 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for illegally possessing the firearm, according to United States Attorney John H. Durham.

Connecticut State Police stopped a vehicle Bowens was operating on I-95 in Bridgeport on April 22 of last year. He attempted to flee and, during a struggle with troopers, produced a 9mm handgun, according to prosecutors. Troopers knocked the firearm from Bowens' hand, but Bowens broke free, jumped into an SUV that had arrived at the scene, and the vehicle fled. Bowens was apprehended a couple of weeks later on May 9.

"Bowens' criminal history includes state felony convictions for possession with intent to sell, criminal possession of a weapon, and forgery," according to prosecutors. "He also has a prior federal conviction for possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, for which he was sentenced, in May 2009, to 57 months of imprisonment."

Bowens has been detained since his arrest, and in November he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Connecticut Violent Fugitive Task Force and the Bridgeport Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacabed Rodriguez-Coss.

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