BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – A former Berkeley County correctional officer has been sentenced for his role in an illegal gun-buying scheme that involved falsified paperwork, sneaky smartphone transfers, and a convicted friend barred from owning weapons, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Noah Olen Fowler, 26, of Moncks Corner, and Joshua Paul Stewart Turner, 25, of Summerville, have both been sentenced in federal court after conspiring to carry out a so-called “straw purchase” of a firearm — a method used to get guns into the hands of people who legally shouldn’t have them.
Federal prosecutors said Fowler, who was employed as a correctional officer at the Berkeley County Detention Center at the time, knowingly purchased a firearm on Turner’s behalf. Prosecutors revealed that Turner picked out the gun, sent the details to Fowler, and paid him via CashApp — leaving a digital paper trail straight to their doorstep.
Despite knowing Turner was prohibited from owning a firearm, Fowler lied on federal form ATF 4473, falsely stating the gun was for himself, prosecutors said.
The scheme quickly unraveled, leading to a federal investigation involving the ATF, FBI Columbia Field Office, and the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office.
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“Straw purchases undermine our efforts to keep firearms out of the hands of those legally prohibited from possessing them,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan P. Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We’ll continue to work with our law enforcement partners to prosecute individuals who attempt to circumnavigate the proper procedure to purchase firearms.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones echoed that sentiment, warning: “Straw purchasing is a dangerous tactic that circumvents our laws and puts guns in the hands of prohibited individuals. Whether you are the prohibited individual in possession of a firearm or the individual who lied to supply that firearm, both are considered threats to public safety and both face serious consequences.”
“Weapons in the hands of those prohibited from possessing them are a direct threat to public safety,” added Reid Davis, acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office. “These sentences underscore the serious consequences of violating federal firearms laws and send a clear message: the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to ensuring those who violate these laws are held accountable.”
U.S. District Judge Bruce H. Hendricks handed down the sentences:
- Turner received 20 months in federal prison, followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision.
- Fowler received a time-served sentence, also followed by three years of supervision.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was one of the early prosecutions under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the landmark legislation passed in June 2022 — and the first federal statute designed specifically to crack down on illegal firearms trafficking and straw purchases.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Bower led the prosecution.
