Department of Justice
For Immediate Release
Felon in Possession of Firearm Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison
OKLAHOMA CITY – BOBBY VON ROGERS, 38, of Moore, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On September 5, 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Rogers on one count of possessing a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol on April 10, 2018, after having been convicted of a felony. Rogers pleaded guilty on November 29, 2018.
On May 10, 2019, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Rogers to the statutory maximum: 120 months, or ten years, in federal prison. This was a variance upward from the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which recommended a sentence between 70 and 87 months. The court heard evidence at sentencing that Rogers has had a number of victim protective orders filed against him. According to evidence before the court, the victim had given birth to Rogers’s child a few weeks before April 10, 2018, when Rogers became abusive. The court heard testimony that when the victim’s mother arrived at his residence to intervene, Rogers slammed the mother’s head against a car, put a gun to her head, and asked: “Are you ready to die?” The court imposed the maximum sentence after remarking that Rogers is a danger to any woman he encounters.
“Serious penalties await those who possess a firearm after a felony conviction,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Troester. “When domestic violence is involved, we will seek an appropriate sentence to prevent further violence and protect victims from future abuse.”
This case is the result of an investigation by the Moore Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives. Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles W. Brown, the case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. In October 2017, the Department announced the reinvigoration of Project Safe Neighborhoods and directed U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop crime-reduction strategies that incorporate lessons federal law enforcement has learned since the program’s launch in 2001. To enhance local effectiveness, the Western District of Oklahoma has emphasized prosecution of federal gun crimes connected to domestic violence.
Reference is made to court filings for further information.
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