The United States Attorney, Richard W. Moore, announces that Donald W. Bruggeman, a 49 year old, resident of Robertsdale, Alabama was sentenced to 29 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm after being convicted of a felony.
On July 22, 2017, Baldwin County, Alabama deputies went to Bruggeman’s residence to arrest him for outstanding felony warrants that included one for domestic abuse of his wife. He was not home, but his wife was and she said Bruggeman might be armed. Deputies located Bruggeman by tracking his cell phone. As they approached the area where his cell phone indicated he was, deputies saw Bruggeman headed in the direction of his residence. Deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop by activating the blue lights. Bruggeman did not stop and instead sped up, pulled into his driveway, stopped the vehicle, jumped out and fled on foot into the woods by his residence. Officers did not give chase because they believed he might be armed. Instead, they secured the area and the vehicle. Inside the vehicle deputies saw and seized a Savage, model Stevens 15A,.22 caliber rifle. Deputies seized the firearm based on his wife’s complaint.
Two days later, Bruggeman was arrested and after Miranda warnings, confessed to possession of the firearm. At that time, Bruggeman had been convicted of one felony, namely, Forgery, Making or Altering a Writing, on Feb. 16, 1999, in the Circuit Court of Jefferson County, Missouri. Bruggeman pled guilty on Dec. 20, 2017.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation along with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and presented it to the United States Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The prosecutor assigned to the case was Assistant United States Attorney, Gina S. Vann.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
