Attorney General James Uthmeier has announced the arrest of Oscar Fowler, a repeat offender whose federal prison sentence was commuted by autopen during the final days of the Biden Administration. The arrest took place on February 23, 2026, when Fowler was taken into custody by the St. Petersburg Police Department and charged with two counts of intent to sell a controlled substance and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. These state charges mirror his previous federal convictions.
“The Biden administration’s use of the autopen is putting Floridians at risk by allowing dangerous felons back on the street, but we won’t put up with it,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “I’ve directed the Office of Statewide Prosecution to review every auto-penned commutation and pardon from the Biden administration that affects Florida. If we can bring state-level charges, we will work with every level of government to do so. Auto-pen accountability starts today.”
“Oscar Fowler needs to be held accountable for his actions, and his arrest represents an important step in protecting our community,” said Chief of St. Petersburg Police Anthony Holloway. “St. Petersburg is safer with him off our streets.”
“ATF is proud to have played a role in locking up this notoriously violent offender in 2024,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Harrell, “and we will continue to help our local, state and federal partners keep America—and communities across Florida—safe.”
The investigation leading to Fowler’s arrest involved cooperation between multiple agencies: St. Petersburg Police Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives-Tampa Field Division (ATF-Tampa), State Attorney for the Sixth Judicial Circuit Bruce Bartlett, and the Office of Statewide Prosecution.
Fowler has a criminal record spanning over ten years and had been serving a 12-and-a-half-year federal sentence before it was commuted by autopen.
The Attorney General’s office provides resources aimed at community safety for seniors and military members as part of its public service mission (official website). It also focuses on protecting residents from fraud through educational efforts and consumer alerts (official website). The office works statewide across Florida (official website) and collaborates closely with law enforcement through initiatives such as Back the Blue Campaign (official website).
If convicted on current charges, Fowler could face up to 45 years in state prison.
