An Oak Harbor man is facing a criminal charge after he tried to purchase a pistol even though he was barred from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction, according to court documents.

Prosecutors charged 34-year-old Bill J. Dils in Island County Superior Court May 20 with unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree.

Oak Harbor police received a notification March 24 from the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs of a denied firearms transaction for Dils, according to an officer’s report.

The report states that Dils attempted to purchase a .22 pistol from an Oak Harbor gun store but was denied because of a felony conviction and a domestic violence conviction, both of which disqualify a person from gun ownership, the report states.

He was convicted of burglary in 2011 and domestic-violence assault in the fourth degree in 2014, the report states.

The officer wrote that Dils was very straightforward, saying he “felt threatened by people over the last few years and wanted to buy a pistol for protection.”

Dils told the officer he had served his time and thought he was eligible to buy a firearm, the report states, but also said he was planning on getting his firearm rights restored but had yet to do so.

If convicted of the charge, Dils could face from three to eight months in jail under the standard sentencing range.