Edward Leon Sowards, a 35-year-old resident of Hurricane, West Virginia, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a firearm despite a prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
Court documents reveal that Sowards admitted to purchasing a Taurus model Public Defender Judge Poly revolver in June 2023, knowing it was stolen. When confronted, Sowards returned the gun to its original owner, aware that its serial number had been removed.
According to federal law, individuals convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence offenses are prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Sowards was previously convicted of domestic battery in Putnam County Magistrate Court on April 20, 2012, and was aware that this conviction prevented him from legally owning a firearm.
The case was announced by Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston, who praised the investigative efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Virginia State Police. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers handed down the sentence.
Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case. The prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program that seeks to reduce violent crime and gun violence. This initiative emphasizes the importance of community trust, collaboration with local organizations, strategic law enforcement priorities, and effective measurement of results.
For further details on the case and related documents, interested parties can reference the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia website and search PACER for Case No. 3:24-cr-147.