A criminal in Milwaukee who authorities say was shot by one of his intended victims and had been indicted on federal charges may wind up facing a hefty punishment for his crime.

Initially charged in Wisconsin State Court July 16, 34-year-old Eric M. Booker was facing three felony counts: armed robbery, first-degree reckless injury and being a felon with a gun which could have put him away for a maximum prison term of 41 years.

However, because a federal judge in Milwaukee had sentenced a teen carjacker who shot his victim to 50 years in prison in 2015, new federal charges have been handed up by a grand jury last Tuesday could potentially send Booker to prison for life.

Of course, he only has himself to thank for that.

According to court records, Booker was shot as he attempted to carjack Michael Guster on July 7th. After Guster pulled his Cadillac Escalade into his driveway on W. Hampton Ave. and exited his vehicle, he saw Booker and another man standing in the doorway of his garage with guns pointed.

Booker called out, “(Expletive). You know what this is!” and the other suspect then fired two or three shots at Guster, who was hit in the leg.

Guster, a legal concealed carry permit holder, took cover behind his SUV, loaded his gun and returned fire on the two, prompting the suspects to flee the scene. The homeowner called 9-1-1 to report the shooting and was taken to a local hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds to both thighs from a single bullet.

That same night, Booker showed up at another local hospital seeking treatment for a gunshot wound to his stomach. Doctors retrieved a bullet recovered from his abdomen that matched Guster’s gun.

Because Booker had been convicted of a felony within five years, he faced an enhanced punishment on the state charge of first-degree reckless injury, for a total of 26 years, plus 10 more for attempted homicide and another five for having a gun, for a potential maximum prison term of 41 years.

Booker’s accomplice has not been arrested or identified by Milwaukee police.