St. Petersburg, Florida — Florida authorities have arrested a repeat offender whose federal prison sentence was commuted during the final days of former President Joe Biden’s administration, prompting state officials to review clemency actions affecting cases in the state.
Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that Oscar Fowler was taken into custody Monday by the St. Petersburg Police Department. According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Fowler faces two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he could face up to 45 years in state prison.
State officials said Fowler had previously been serving a more than 12-year federal sentence on drug and weapons charges before his punishment was commuted as part of a broader round of clemency grants issued near the end of Biden’s term.
Uthmeier criticized the prior administration’s use of an autopen to issue clemency orders and directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to review commutations and pardons issued in Florida to determine whether additional state charges may be viable.
The arrest followed a joint investigation involving local police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and state prosecutors. Officials said the review of clemency-related cases is ongoing.
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