How Bobb’e Thompson Went From Child Star to Federal Prison – The Root

Bobb’e J. Thompson was a familiar face on television long before he became the subject of a federal criminal case.

The Kansas City, Missouri, native started acting as a child, building a résumé that included “The Tracy Morgan Show,” “30 Rock,” “House of Payne” and MTV’s “Wild ’N Out.” He also appeared in movies including “Role Models,” “Shark Tale” and “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.”

For many viewers, though, Thompson is still best remembered as Stanley, the young character he played on Disney Channel’s “That’s So Raven.”

Now at age 30, Thompson is facing a very different chapter. On Sept. 16, 2026, a federal judge in Iowa sentenced him to 30 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, TMZ reported. He will also serve three years of supervised release after his prison term.

The case goes back to Sept. 22, 2025, when Iowa authorities stopped Thompson in Cerro Gordo County. According to prosecutors, he was driving 104 mph in a 70-mph zone. As an officer approached the vehicle, police say Thompson and his passenger switched seats. Officers also detected the smell of marijuana.

A search of the vehicle changed the traffic stop into something much more serious.

Authorities reportedly found a backpack they identified as belonging to Thompson, according to U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Iowa. Inside were several bags of marijuana and a loaded .40-caliber handgun. The weapon had a 15-round magazine with another round in the chamber. Prosecutors also said the gun had been reported stolen from a vehicle in Kansas City.

But the gun was only part of the reason the case became federal.

Thompson already had a felony record. He was convicted in 2020 of battery causing serious bodily injury and assault, Newsweek reported. In 2022, he was convicted of prohibited firearm possession. Because people with qualifying felony convictions are generally prohibited from possessing firearms, finding Thompson with another gun exposed him to a federal charge.

The actor pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on April 28, 2026, according to prosecutors. Now, he’s been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, as TMZ reported. Thompson is being held by the U.S. Marshals Service pending transfer to a federal prison.

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