Asheville Man Is Sentenced To 57 Months In Prison For Possession Of A Firearm By A Felon

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Dion Lamont Lowman, 48, of Asheville, was sentenced today to 57 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger ordered Lowman to begin serving the federal sentence after the defendant completes the 19-month state sentence he is currently serving for a drug conviction.

Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Chief Michael Lamb of the Asheville Police Department (APD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today's announcement.

According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on June 13, 2023, APD officers encountered Lowman in Asheville. The officers, who knew that Lowman had outstanding arrest warrants, observed Lowman drive a vehicle with a South Carolina license plate and proceeded to follow him. The officers continued to follow Lowman, and saw the defendant park his vehicle into the back parking area of a residence. The officers then observed another individual get into Lowman's front passenger side. While the officers were pulling up, they observed the other individual quickly exit Lowman's vehicle and walk away. The officers approached Lowman's vehicle and ordered the defendant to come out. Lowman complied and the officers placed Lowman and the other individual under arrest. The officers then searched Lowman's vehicle and seized a loaded firearm. The officers checked the firearm's serial number and determined it was stolen. Lowman has prior criminal convictions, to include drug trafficking, and he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.

On April 15, 2024, Lowman pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon.

In making today's announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the DEA and the Asheville Police Department for their investigation of the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.