Medford Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison Under Armed Career Criminal Act
MEDFORD, Ore.—On May 24, 2022, a Medford man with a long criminal history, including multiple convictions for strangulation and assault, was sentenced to federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
James Calvin Patterson, 46, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. Patterson’s sentence will run concurrently to a 45-month sentence recently imposed for a drug conviction in Jackson County Circuit Court.
According to court documents, in the early morning hours of March 30, 2019, two officers from the Medford Police Department observed a white compact car stopping in the middle of the road to pick up a passenger. Suspecting possible drug activity, the officers initiated a traffic stop. As one officer approached the vehicle, the front passenger, Patterson, began moving his hands around and near his midsection and waistband. Concerned Patterson was armed, the officer asked him to step out of the vehicle. Patterson initially did not move, but then quickly reached toward his waist band. Eventually Patterson excited the vehicle and, after initially complying with some of the officer’s commands, attempted to flee on foot.
Before long, the officer regained control of Patterson and forced him to the ground. As the officer tried to handcuff him, Patterson continued reaching for this waistband. After a struggle, officers successfully handcuffed Patterson. When they stood him up, a loaded pistol fell from his waistband.
Shortly after his arrest, Patterson made multiple recorded jail phone calls on which he admitted to possessing the firearm, acknowledged he was facing 15 years in prison, and stating he would have shot the officer if he had the chance.
On May 16, 2019, Patterson was charged by criminal complaint with illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Later, on June 5, 2019, a federal grand jury in Medford indicted Patterson on the same charge. On December 9, 2021, he pleaded guilty.
U.S. Attorney Scott Erik Asphaug of the District of Oregon made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) with assistance from the Medford Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marco A. Boccato of the District of Oregon.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
