Oscar Freemond Fowler III, a convicted felon whose federal sentence was reduced during the final days of the Biden administration, has been taken back into custody to face state charges, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Monday, according to Fox News.
“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. He credited the St. Petersburg Police Department and ATF Tampa for assisting with the arrest, noting that cooperation between state and federal agencies helps keep Florida safer.
Fowler, a repeat offender, had been sentenced in 2024 to 12 years and six months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. Prosecutors had requested a longer sentence, citing his criminal history and risk to the community.
However, Fowler was among more than 2,500 inmates granted clemency by President Joe Biden on January 17, 2025. The commutation—which reduced his sentence but did not erase his conviction—led to his release from federal custody. The clemency warrant, signed in Washington, was one of several documents reportedly issued using an autopen.
Fowler’s release drew scrutiny from critics, including the Oversight Project, a conservative investigative group that warned Florida officials about his record. “He’s a dangerous criminal who should still be in federal custody,” said the group’s president, Mike Howell, in a prior interview with Fox News Digital. The organization argued that Fowler’s inclusion contradicted the administration’s representation of the clemency initiative as focused on nonviolent offenders.
Court records show Fowler’s criminal activity spans more than a decade. According to Fox News, among the most serious allegations was his connection to the 2013 shooting death of Naykee Bostic in St. Petersburg, which occurred soon after Fowler completed a previous sentence. Bostic was found with 25 gunshot wounds. Fowler was charged in the case but acquitted in 2017 after two mistrials.
A federal sentencing memorandum in 2024 cited by prosecutors alleged that Fowler had admitted on video to the killing and expressed a willingness to commit violence again. Those details are reportedly what influenced prosecutors’ push for a longer sentence in his most recent case.