Oscar Freemond Fowler III, a serial offender whose federal sentence was commuted in the waning days of the Biden administration, has been taken back into custody again to face state charges, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier stated Monday.
“Moments ago, we took Oscar Fowler, a dangerous career criminal who was commuted by Biden’s autopen, into custody to face state charges,” Uthmeier wrote in a post on X.
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He thanked the St. Petersburg Police Department and ATF Tampa for their assistance in the arrest, noting that “Florida is safer because of our local and federal law enforcement partners.”
Fowler was serving a 12-year, 6-month federal prison sentence after pleading guilty in 2024 to felon in possession of a handgun and intent to distribute cocaine.
Federal prosecutors had argued for at least 150 months in prison, citing Fowler’s extensive criminal record and claiming he constituted an ongoing threat to the public.
Despite his background, Fowler was included in President Joe Biden’s executive clemency award on January 17, 2025, which commuted the sentences of over 2,500 convicts.
A commutation lessens a sentence but does not overturn the conviction. Fowler was released from federal custody as a consequence.
The clemency warrant, issued in Washington and carrying Biden’s signature, was one of numerous documents that detractors claim were executed with an autopen.
Fowler’s release sparked criticism, particularly from the Oversight Project, a conservative investigative group.
The group notified Florida officials about Fowler’s release, arguing that his criminal record contradicted assertions that the clemency campaign targeted nonviolent prisoners. “This is the exact person who should be in federal custody,” he stated.
“He is a dangerous criminal who’s supposed to be in jail for a very long time,” Oversight Project President Mike Howell told Fox News Digital at the time.
“This is the exact person that should be in federal custody,” he said.
The most serious claim is the 2013 shooting death of Naykee Bostic in St. Petersburg, which occurred shortly after Fowler was freed from a previous federal prison sentence.
Bostic was discovered with 25 gunshot wounds. Fowler was accused but acquitted in 2017, following two previous mistrials.
Critics noted a 2024 federal sentencing memorandum that indicated Fowler admitted to the homicide on tape and expressed a readiness to use violence again.
Prosecutors used these claims to obtain a lengthy sentence in his most recent case.
