Violent Felon Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a Fully Automatic AR-15 Style Rifle Following a High-Speed Chase
INDIANAPOLIS – Raymond Bowie, 21, of Indianapolis, was sentenced to six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on September 4, 2021, officers recognized an individual in attendance at the funeral of a homicide victim. The individual was a fugitive, was noticeably armed, and had an outstanding warrant. Several other individuals in attendance at the funeral were also armed. Officers were aware of various threats of violence and retaliation that were made by associates and family members of the deceased individual.
Officers saw the fugitive leave the funeral and enter the driver’s side of a vehicle, along with three other individuals, including Bowie. Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop of the fugitive’s vehicle near the 3700 block of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The fugitive driver did not comply and led police on a high-speed chase exceeding speeds of 100 miles per hour. Due to the excess speeds, police terminated the pursuit. Officers searched the area of the chase and within minutes located the vehicle crashed on I-465 northbound near the I-65 on-ramp.
As officers approached the vehicle, they saw Bowie and another passenger fleeing from the crash on foot. Bowie was recklessly swinging a rifle with an extended magazine around as he fled police, which he later discarded. Bowie eventually dropped to the ground because of his injuries from the accident and was detained by police without incident. Officers located the firearm discarded by Bowie, which was a converted fully automatic AR-15 style rifle loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition.
Bowie has three prior felony convictions for armed robbery and was also convicted of dangerous firearm possession. Bowie was on probation at the time of his September 4, 2021, offense, and violated the terms of his probation by illegally possessing a firearm. Bowie is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law due to his previous felony convictions.
Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Columbus Field Division (ATF), made the announcement.
ATF investigated the case in conjunction with the Indiana Crime Gun Task Force. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James Patrick Hanlon. As part of the sentence, Judge Hanlon ordered that Bowie be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for three years following his release from federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate who prosecuted this case.
This case was brought as part of the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force (ICGTF). ICGTF is a partnership of law enforcement officers and analysts from several central Indiana law enforcement agencies in Boone, Hamilton, Hancock, Hendricks, Marion, Morgan, Johnson, and Shelby counties. In cooperation with state, local, and federal partners, ICGTF collaborates to address violent crime through a comprehensive strategy including innovative approaches to locating suspects and evidence related to violent crimes and illegal possession of firearms.
Also, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
