On Monday, November 7, 2011, McDowell and two confederates kicked in the door of an apartment on Heatherton Drive in Davenport, Iowa. McDowell acted as a lookout as a couch and bed were set on fire in the apartment. McDowell also attempted to light the bathroom carpet on fire. The apartment building contained six separate units, all of which were rented at the time of the fire. Three days before the fire, McDowell had been in possession of two firearms. Since McDowell had previously been convicted of a felony offense, he was prohibited from possessing firearms.
The case was investigated by the Davenport, Iowa, Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and it was prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
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