Yep, this is a first for us.
The Oklahoman is reporting Friday afternoon that 45-year-old Kent Bowles of Norman, Okla., was arrested Wednesday on multiple charges following a rather bizarre incident. Among the charges Bowles is facing include possession of a controlled dangerous substance, larceny, concealment of stolen property and obtaining cash or merchandise by bogus check or false pretenses.
What makes the arrest noteworthy is that Bowles, who in addition to serving as the regional representative for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), is also the football chaplain for the Oklahoma Sooners.
The paper writes that Bowles’ charges stem from attempting to lure “a man from his house by offering a bogus vehicle test drive and then stealing prescription medications while the man was gone.” While the man was away on the “test drive,” the man’s wife observed, via a security camera stream on her phone, Bowles allegedly pilfering the meds.
After police officers were called and arrived on the scene, Bowles acknowledged that he had taken the pills, which included Oxycodone and Hydrocodone.
According to his FCA profile, Bowles has worked for that organization for 21 years. The last nine of those years have been in Norman, where, the profile reads, he currently serves “32 middle school and high school campuses along with walking alongside the OU Football Program as their team chaplain.” Bowles has been connected to OU in his capacity as chaplain for at least the last seven years.
How this arrest will impact his future with the program and the university moving forward is unclear. Bowles, though, is already garnering some support, including this tweet for former OU offensive lineman Gabe Ikard.
Kent Bowles made a mistake, but he is still a great man. This doesn't change the work he's done and the people he's affected at OU.
— Gabe Ikard (@GabeIkard) October 17, 2014