William Scott Fogg, a 37-year-old Altoona resident with a history of felony convictions, has been sentenced to a seven-year federal prison term for illegally possessing a firearm. U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber handed down the sentence following Fogg's guilty plea on May 21, according to a press release by U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Fogg's criminal record, which includes eight state felony convictions since 2008 for crimes such as burglary, grand theft, and illicit drug possession, has barred him from legally owning or handling firearms and ammunition. Despite this, on August 28, 2023, Fogg took a loaded gun from his girlfriend’s truck, where she was with her children, chambered a round, and threatened to kill her, the children and himself.
The quick response from deputies led to Fogg’s arrest and the recovery of the weapon. The case, investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Significantly, Fogg's conviction was part of the ongoing Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative. PSN is a collaborative effort between law enforcement agencies and community groups aimed at reducing violent crime and gun-related violence with the intent to make neighborhoods safer, according to the 2021 strategy overhaul announced by the Department, the focus is on building trust and legitimacy within communities, bolstering community-based organizations that work to prevent violence proactively, establishing clear and strategic enforcement priorities, and assessing the outcomes.
