Wilmington man receives 4.5 years in prison for gun offense

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington man will spend the next 4.5 years (54 months) in prison for felon possession of a firearm.

30-year-old Rufus Lamar Bowser was sentenced Friday for the incident which occurred on January 19th.

According to the Department of Justice, officers with the Wilmington Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle earlier this year. Based on Bowser’s actions and the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle, officers asked the occupants to step out of the vehicle.

When officers attempted to frisk the defendant for weapons, he tried to run from officers and a brief struggle ensued. During the struggle, a loaded pistol fell from the defendant’s pocket.

At the time of the offense, Bowser was on post release supervision for his 2008 convictions for second-degree murder and robbery with a dangerous weapon. Additionally, he had outstanding warrants for his arrest for absconding from supervision and attempted first degree burglary.