Eastern District of Oklahoma

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Adelby Isloa Martinez Mendez, age 36, of Honduras, was sentenced to 63 months in prison for one count of Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien Subsequent to an Aggravated Felony Conviction.

The charge arose from investigations by the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police Department, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division.

On December 31, 2024, Martinez Mendez, pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on March 5, 2024, Martinez Mendez, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously removed twice without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.  The second removal was after an April 2019 conviction for a felony offense punishable by five years or more years in prison.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Martinez Mendez will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Stephanie Leigh Rodgers, aka Stephanie Larsen, aka Stephanie Yoder, aka Stephanie Ward, age 40, of Vian, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 151 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, followed by three years of supervised release.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office.

On January 13, 2025, Rodgers pleaded guilty to the charge.  On August 19, 2024, law enforcement officers apprehended Rodgers after she sold approximately 447 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover officer.  According to investigators, Rodgers sold approximately 3.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in the months preceding her arrest.

The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Rodgers will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Mark Galen Putnam, age 41, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for one count of Distribution of Fentanyl, 70 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and 70 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.  The Court ordered the terms to run concurrently.

The charges arose from an investigation by the District 27 Drug Task Force, the Adair County Sheriff’s Office, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

On January 24, 2025, Putnam pleaded guilty to the charges.  According to investigators, on September 6, 2023, Putnam sold a baggie of two hundred pills containing fentanyl to an undercover officer.  A week later, on September 14, 2023, law enforcement arrested Putnam after he agreed to sell another 1,600 fentanyl pills.  When officers arrested Putnam, they discovered Putnam in possession of more fentanyl pills and approximately sixteen grams of methamphetamine.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Putnam will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Andrew Thomas Edwards, age 35, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by ten years of supervised release for one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Muskogee Police Department and the United States Marshals Service.

On March 10, 2025, Edwards pleaded guilty to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

Edwards was previously convicted by the State of Oklahoma for Lewd Molestation in September 2001, Indecent Exhibition of Child Pornography in November 2001, and Lewd Molestation in January 2015, each a felony conviction requiring the defendant to register under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) passed by Congress in 2006.

According to investigators, Edwards initially registered an address upon his release from prison in March 2024, but by June 2024 Edwards was no longer living at that address and had failed to update or register his new address as required by law.  U.S. Marshals traced Edwards’ new residence to a Muskogee apartment, and on September 21, 2024, law enforcement arrested Edwards.

The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Edwards will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Michael Adrian Wrenn, age 36, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 92 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Ardmore Police Department.

On December 31, 2024, Wrenn pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on December 9, 2023, Wrenn stole a semi-automatic handgun from an Ardmore, Oklahoma gun store.  Prior to taking the weapon, Wrenn had been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Wrenn will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Zachary Thomas Carson, a/k/a Zach Thomas Carson, age 36, of Adair County, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

The Indictment charged Carson with knowingly possessed 297 rounds of ammunition on April 21, 2025, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Carson will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob R. Parker and Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brandon Lee Smith, age 30, of Wichita Falls, Texas, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm, punishable by up to fifteen years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

The Indictment charged Smith with knowingly possessing a semi-automatic pistol on January 18, 2025, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Ardmore Police Department.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Smith will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Byron Keith Spencer, age 53, of Seminole, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to a one-count Felony Information of Possession of Stolen Firearm, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

The Felony Information alleged that on May 9, 2023, Spencer knowingly possessed one handgun which he knew or had reasonable cause to believe was stolen.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Wewoka Police Department, the District 22 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Spencer will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly, Joshua Satter, Edith Singer, and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Larry Keith Mickle, age 50, of Bache, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office.

On May 28, 2025, Mickle pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on June 18, 2024, Mickle fired a .22 caliber round at the victim.  The victim fought off the attack and sustained a laceration to the top of the skull.  The crime occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Mickle will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tamarion Dejhun Adamson, age 31, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for making a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On November 18, 2024, Adamson pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on July 22, 2024, Adamson attempted to purchase a firearm from Sulphur Pawn in Sulphur, Oklahoma.  During that visit, Adamson intentionally made a false written statement on the ATF Firearms Transaction Record Form 4473 asserting he was not currently charged with a felony information or indictment.  In reality, Adamson faced pending felonies in Oklahoma County at the time of the visit.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Adamson will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Dean Burris represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Victor Wayne Andrew Artussee, age 33, of Okemah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, and 41 months for one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Harm in Indian Country.  The terms are set to be served concurrently.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Okemah Police Department, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Tribal Lighthorse Police Department.

On January 8, 2025, Artussee pleaded guilty to the charges.  According to investigators, on May 11, 2024, Artussee kicked in the front door of an Okemah residence and assaulted the occupant with a baseball bat.  The victim sustained multiple injuries, including multiple bone fractures and blunt force trauma to the skull.  The crimes occurred in Okfuskee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Artussee will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick M. Flanigan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jorden James Thierry, age 21, of Boynton, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Stealing a Firearm from a Federal Licensed Dealer, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

The Indictment alleged that on April 17, 2025, Thierry knowingly stole two semi-automatic pistols from Checotah Gun and Pawn, a federal firearms licensed dealer.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Checotah Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Thierry will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brian Jene Sullivan, age 66, of Shady Point, Oklahoma, was sentenced to three years’ probation for one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service, the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office, and the Winston Police Department of Douglas County, Oregon.

On January 13, 2024, Sullivan pleaded guilty to the charges.  According to investigators, Sullivan was convicted of Rape in the Third Degree and Sodomy in the Third Degree in the State of Oregon in 2007,  and was required to register as a sex offender, but failed to register and update his registration between July 2023 and July 21, 2024, while entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan A. Muzljakovich and Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Santos Reyes-Garcia, aka Edgar Benjamin Colorado Mora, aka Edgar Colorado-Moran, aka Santos Garcia Reyes, age 37, a Mexican national unlawfully present in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.

The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division.

The Indictment alleged that Reyes-Garcia, an alien, was found in the United States on May 5, 2025, after having been previously removed without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Reyes-Garcia will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Manuel De Jesus Lira Aguilar, aka Jesus Lira Aguilar, aka Manuel Edward Aguilar III, aka Jesus Lira Manuel, aka Pero Marquez, age 51, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Carter County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than ten years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.

The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Carter County Sheriff’s Office.

The Indictment alleged that on October 21, 2024, Lira Aguilar, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously removed without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Lira Aguilar will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dak T. Cohen and Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Henry Tyler Allen, age 35, of Durant, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 77 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm.

The charge arose from investigations by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Durant Police Department.

On January 7, 2025, Allen pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on September 24, 2024, officers discovered Allen in possession of a 9mm semi-automatic pistol after having been convicted of crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Allen will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Runningbear Pettit, age 23, of Bunch, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.  Pettit also pleaded guilty to one count of using, carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

The Indictment alleged that on January 30, 2025, Pettit assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm.  The Indictment further alleged that on January 30, 2025, Pettit knowingly used, carried, brandished, and discharged a firearm during and in relation to that crime of violence.

The crimes occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Stilwell Police Department.

The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Pettit will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Gross and Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kendall James Hopper, age 61, of Smithville, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm, punishable by up to fifteen years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

The Indictment charged Hopper with knowingly possessing one lever-action rifle on January 2, 2024, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Hopper will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Geizura represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Demontrae Davion Rogers, age 20, of Wewoka, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.00.

The Indictment alleged that on April 2, 2024, Rogers knowingly and unlawfully possessed a semi-automatic pistol which had the serial number or other required identification obliterated, removed, changed, or altered.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Rogers will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that DaQurius Razjoune Johnson, aka Daquarius Razjoune Johnson, age 33, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.00.

The Indictment charged Johnson with knowingly possessing thirty-five rounds of ammunition on July 24, 2024, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Johnson will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Carlos Mendoza-Padilla, aka Marvin Antino, aka Carlos Ivan Mendoza-Padilla, aka Carlos Ivan Mendoza, a Honduran national unlawfully present in Carter County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by up two years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Carter County Sheriff’s Office.

The Indictment alleged that on May 4, 2025, Mendoza-Padilla, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously removed on two separate occasions without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Mendoza-Padilla will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Joshua Devn Page, age 34, of Henryetta, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm, punishable by up to fifteen years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

The Indictment charged Page with knowingly possessing two firearms on December 18, 2024, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Henryetta Police Department, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department.

The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Page will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Robby Dewayne Tiger, age 41, of Seminole County, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Arson in Indian Country, punishable by up to life in prison.

The Indictment alleged that on December 6, 2024, Tiger willfully and maliciously set fire to a dwelling, placing the life of a person in jeopardy.

The crime occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Seminole Lighthorse Police.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Tiger will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Gross and Jacob Parker represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tyler Dee Baker, age 33, of McCurtain, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, punishable by up to ten years in prison.

The Indictment alleged that Baker was convicted of First Degree Rape in the State of Oklahoma on May 7, 2010, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from November 2024 until February 19, 2025, Baker failed to register and update his registration while entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Baker will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that David Allen Lee, age 44, of Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of Second Degree Murder in Indian Country, punishable by up to life in prison.

The jury trial began with testimony on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, and concluded, on Thursday, June 5, 2025, with the guilty verdict.

During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on July 2, 2024, Lee stabbed a Tahlequah resident in the chest with a knife at the victim’s residence.  Lee waited to call 911 for several hours after the victim’s death and barricaded himself inside the residence before finally surrendering to police.  The crime occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The guilty verdict was the result of an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report.  The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report.  Lee will remain in custody of the United States Marshals until sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Gross and Patrick Flanigan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dock Lee Shoemaker, age 60, of Calera, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender, punishable by up to ten years in prison.

The Indictment alleged that Shoemaker was convicted of felony Sexual Battery in the State of Oklahoma on February 3, 2016, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from August 2020 until April 16, 2025, Shoemaker failed to register and update his registration while entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Shoemaker will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sovana Xiong, age 32, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 188 months in prison and a 10 year term of supervised release to follow for one count of Distribution of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Tulsa Police Department — Special Investigations Division.

On December 9, 2024, Xiong pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, from October 15, 2023, until April 11, 2024, Xiong knowingly distributed visual depictions on the internet of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement.  You can file a report through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.com, through the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or through Homeland Security Investigations at 1-877-4-HSI TIP.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Xiong will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jeffrey Wayne Thompson, age 49, of Fort Worth, Texas, was sentenced to time served and three years of Supervise Release for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On November 7, 2024, Thompson pleaded guilty to the charges.  According to investigators, on February 21, 2023, deputies conducting a traffic stop discovered Thompson in possession of a handgun and six rounds of ammunition.  At the time of the stop, Thompson had previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael E. Robinson and Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Daniel Levi Magness, age 36, of Okemah, Oklahoma, and Joanna Lee Higgins, age 33, of Okemah, Oklahoma, were sentenced for charges relating to child abuse and neglect.

Magness was sentenced to 220 months in prison for two counts of Child Abuse in Indian Country and one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country. Magness was also sentenced to 63 months for one count of Maiming in Indian Country and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm.  The Court ordered the terms to be served concurrently for a total of 220 months.  Magness entered a guilty plea to the charges on October 15, 2024.

Higgins was sentenced to 140 months in prison for one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country.  Higgins pleaded guilty to the charge on November 12, 2024.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

According to investigators, on January 31, 2024, officers responded to a call for a welfare check at an Okemah residence and discovered two minor children in the defendants’ care living in unsanitary conditions and covered in bruises.  One child was suffering from a visible disfiguring injury to one ear.  A search of the home recovered a semi-automatic pistol, a revolver, a bolt-action rifle, and a shotgun despite Magness having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.  Investigators determined that Magness and Higgins had perpetrated their abuse and neglect on the children for over a year.

The crimes occurred in Okfuskee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  The defendants will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Paladino represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Garret James Walkos, age 25, of Red Oak, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country, punishable by thirty years to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.00.

The Indictment alleged that beginning in June 2023 and continuing until March 2024, Walkos knowingly engaged and attempted to engage in a sexual act with a minor who had not attained the age of 12 years.

The crime occurred in Latimer County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Criminal Investigations.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Walkos will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Bove and Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jimmy Dale Kelley, aka Jimmy Dale Kelly, aka Jimmy Dale Robinson, age 37, of Grant, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.00.

The Superseding Indictment alleged that on August 9, 2024, Kelley knowingly possessed a revolver and five rounds of spent ammunition after having been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Kelley was allowed to remain on current bond with conditions of release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Chrystano Peder Carmelo Cooper, age 22, a citizen of The Bahamas lawfully present in the United States on an F1 student visa, was sentenced to 220 months in prison for four counts relating to the production, distribution, receipt, and possession of child sexual abuse materials.  The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.  Cooper will register as a sex offender and be removed from the United States after completing his term of incarceration.

The charges arose from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.

On November 14, 2024, Cooper was found guilty by a federal jury of Sexual Exploitation of a Child/Use of a Child to Produce a Visual Depiction, Distribution of Certain Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Receipt of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor at trial.

Between December of 2022 and February of 2024, Cooper, while attending college in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, induced a minor child to create and share sexually explicit images via the internet.  According to investigators, federal agents seized Cooper’s cellular telephone during the execution of a federal search warrant, which revealed multiple child sexual abuse materials of the minor victim.

“This sentence is proof that this defendant's perverse behavior of sexually exploiting a child will not go unpunished,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard Homeland Security Investigations Dallas.  “Thanks to a Cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, this child predator will be incarcerated, allowing the minor victim he abused to begin the healing process.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to aggressively prosecute those who exploit and victimize children,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement.  You can file a report through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.com, through the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or through Homeland Security Investigations at 1-877-4-HSI TIP.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Cooper will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessie K. Pippin and Jessica Bove represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sheena Grasshopper, age 41, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for one count of Attempted Arson of a Dwelling in Indian Country.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On January 14, 2025, Grasshopper pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on July 31, 2023, Grasshopper attempted to set fire to a Tahlequah home and placed the occupant’s life in jeopardy.  The crime occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing.  Grasshopper will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick M. Flanigan and Edith A. Singer represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Charles Daniel Tow, age 35, of Moore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and 87 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.  The terms were ordered to be served concurrently.

The charges arose from an investigation by the District 27 Drug Task Force, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On December 10, 2024, Tow pleaded guilty to the charges.  According to investigators, on June 6, 2024, law enforcement conducting a traffic stop discovered Tow in possession of 290 grams of fentanyl intended for distribution, a semi-automatic pistol, and eight rounds of ammunition.  At the time of the stop, Tow had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for Kansas, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing.  Tow will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Willard Leroy Robbins, Jr., aka Bub, age 41, of Wilburton, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information charging him with one count of Murder in Indian Country - Second Degree, punishable by up to life in prison.

The Information alleged that on April 10, 2024, Robbins unlawfully killed the victim with malice aforethought.

The crime occurred in Latimer County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office, and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Robbins will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Victoriano Ponce-Garcia, age 53, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Coal County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than two years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.

The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Coalgate Police Department.

The Indictment alleged that on April 11, 2025, Ponce-Garcia, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously removed on two separate occasions without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Ponce-Garcia will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cory Lamont Bostic, aka Cory L. Neal, age 48, of Hugo, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

On January 8, 2025, Bostic pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on September 7, 2023, Bostic knowingly and intentionally distributed approximately 54 grams of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.

The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing.  Bostic will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that five Oklahoma residents were sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in violation of federal law.

The leader of the drug trafficking organization, Christopher Adam Banschbach, age 39, of Holdenville, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 360 months in prison for one count of Drug Conspiracy on February 22, 2024.  Banschbach’s four co-defendants each pleaded guilty to one count of drug conspiracy and one count of possession with intent to distribute and were sentenced at hearings held between July 11, 2024, and May 22, 2025.

• Ricky Edward Hall, age 30, of Covington, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 324 months for each count, to be served concurrently.
• Joshua Levi Kendrick, age 43, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 235 months for each count, to be served concurrently.
• Brittany Marie Cagle, age 35, of Wagoner, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 168 months for each count, to be served concurrently.
• Christina Gail Pool, age 43, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months for each count, to be served concurrently.

According to investigators, between March 2022 and November 2022, while serving time on state charges at the Davis Correctional Facility in Holdenville, Oklahoma, Banschbach coordinated and directed the distribution of approximately forty-five kilograms of methamphetamine.  Non-incarcerated members of the conspiracy obtained the methamphetamine from various locations and distributed it in Muskogee and other locations.

The charges arose from an investigation led by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, with assistance from the Muskogee Police Department and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office.

The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, sitting by designation, the Honorable Keith Starrett, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, sitting by designation, and the Honorable William P. Johnson, Senior U.S. District Judge for the District of New Mexico, sitting by designation, presided over the hearings.  All defendants are in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve non-paroleable sentences of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Cornell represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Hanna Jera Davidson, age 41, of Atoka, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to a one-count Information charging her with Failure to Collect or Pay Over Tax, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000.00.

The Information alleged Davidson, who exercised control over the financial affairs of Fomby & Sons Towing and Recovery, willfully failed to collect, truthfully account for, and pay over trust fund taxes of $13,273.57 due and owing to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on behalf of the employees of Fomby & Sons Towing and Recovery for the second quarter of the year ending in 2020.

In addition, as part of the plea agreement and during the plea hearing, Davidson admitted that between March 2015 and December 2020, Davidson willfully chose not to pay over to the IRS $158,527.00 in taxes collected from employees and that Davidson willfully chose not to pay over to the IRS $72,665.82, which represented Fomby & Sons Towing and Recovery’s portion of the employment taxes owed.

The charge arose from an investigation by IRS-Criminal Investigations.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Davidson was released on bond pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kara Traster represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Richard Alan Chastain, age 53, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Ardmore Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On December 16, 2024, Chastain pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on July 17, 2024, Chastain attacked an individual at his encampment in Ardmore, Oklahoma.  Chastain chased the victim beyond the boundaries of the encampment, striking the victim multiple times with a machete.  The victim fled but sustained serious injuries, including severe cuts to his limbs and a severed thumb.  Law enforcement responding to an emergency call found the victim unconscious near the railroad tracks and a trail of blood leading back to the encampment.  The crime occurred in Carter County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing.  Chastain will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Nezjoneil Nikkolo Marris, age 28, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, punishable by 10 years to life in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.

The Indictment alleged that on March 26, 2022, Marris knowingly used, carried, brandished, and discharged a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

The crime occurred in Carter County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ardmore Police Department.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson,  U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Marris will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Dean Burris, T. Cameron McEwen, and Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brad William Ritter, age 51, and Toby Le Mills, age 51, both of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, were sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.  Ritter was sentenced to 41 months of incarceration.  Mills was sentenced to 33 months of incarceration.   As part of sentencing, the Court ordered the defendants to pay $3,797,500.00 in restitution.  In addition, the Court entered a money judgment against Mills in the amount of $1,059,958.00, ordered forfeiture of $697,863.67 in funds seized from Ritter, and entered a forfeiture money judgment against Ritter in the amount of $2,029,678.33.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS-Criminal Investigation.

Ritter and Mills each pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Wire fraud on April 3, 2024.

According to investigators, beginning in at least 2018 and continuing until January 2022, Ritter and Mills conspired to defraud an employee-owned business operating in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.  Ritter, who worked as an executive for the company, used his position to submit false invoices on behalf of a business set up in Mills’s name. The invoices billed the business for services that Mills’s company never performed, resulting in $3,797,500.00 in fraudulent payments made to Ritter and Mills during that time.

“The sentence imposed on these two defendants should serve as a stark reminder that criminal activity motivated by greed comes at a price,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater.  “The FBI is committed to ensuring those who engage in fraudulent activity are held accountable through the justice system.”

“Ritter and Mills went to great lengths to disguise a years-long scheme to siphon millions from an unsuspecting employer, using false invoices, shell companies, and layered financial lies,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., IRS-CI special agent in charge of the Dallas Field Office.  “Let this case serve as a warning: complex fraud schemes may be layered in lies and paperwork, but they are never beyond the reach of IRS Criminal Investigation special agents.  IRS-CI will aggressively track illicit financial activity and dismantle criminal enterprises, no matter how sophisticated.  Those who think they can get away with defrauding businesses or taxpayers should think again.”

“The wounds may not be physical, but the harm caused by fraudsters is still very real.  I commend the investigators and prosecutors who worked tirelessly to ensure that the defendants answered for their crime,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Ritter and Mills were allowed to remain on previous bond with conditions of release and will self-report into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility by June 23, 2025, to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kara Traster, Joshua Satter, and Clay Compton represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dustin Lee Harp, age 41, of Wilburton, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months in prison for one count of Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment or Information.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Latimer County Sheriff’s Office.

On January 7, 2025, Harp pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, between December 12, 2020, and December 9, 2021, Harp received a semi-automatic rifle despite being charged in the District Court of Latimer County, Oklahoma, for a crime punishable by imprisonment of more than a year.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for Kansas, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing.  Harp was remanded into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarrod Leaman and Edith A. Singer represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ivone Monforte Leal, aka Yvonne Monforte, aka Ivonne Monforte Stefany, age 34, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Wagoner County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than ten years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.

The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office.

The Indictment alleged that on March 26, 2025, Leal, an alien, was found in the United States after having been previously removed twice without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Leal will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dak T. Cohen represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Anthony James Deason, age 29, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 84 months in prison followed by eight years of supervised release for one count of Attempted Receipt of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Tahlequah Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.

On December 11, 2024, Deason pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, between October 26 and October 30, 2023, Deason, then a teacher and coach with Tahlequah Public Schools, used social media to contact two students he knew to be minors and requested they send him explicit images.  Deason offered money and gift cards as an inducement.  Deason also sent an unsolicited explicit image of himself to one of the victims.  Both minors refused his requests.

The crime occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

“This case serves as a stark reminder for kids and parents that the internet is often used by persons with evil intentions to exploit and victimize,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.  “Fortunately, the defendant’s sordid requests and offers of gifts were refused.  I am grateful for the alert students and concerned families who reached out to law enforcement, and for the efforts of investigators and prosecutors who successfully stopped an online predator.  Because of them, Deason will be held accountable for his vile crimes.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

We encourage anyone who suspects or has information regarding child sexual exploitation, trafficking of minors, sextortion, child pornography, or any other means of child exploitation to immediately contact law enforcement.  You can file a report through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678 or online at www.cybertipline.com, through the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or through Homeland Security Investigations at 1-877-4-HSI TIP.

The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing.  Deason will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara McAmis represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Charles Henry Lawrence, aka Charles Henry Lawrence, Jr., age 57, of Wilburton, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Latimer County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On November 25, 2024, Lawrence pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on November 11, 2022, law enforcement officers serving a search warrant on Lawrence’s Wilburton, Oklahoma residence seized one rifle and one revolver.  At the time of the search, Lawrence had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing.  Lawrence will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Anthony Lynn Brewer, age 67, of Warner, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm, and to 12 months for one count of Simple Possession of Methamphetamine, a misdemeanor.  The terms were ordered to be served concurrently.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

On October 4, 2024, Brewer pleaded guilty to the charges.  According to investigators, during a traffic stop on May 29, 2024, troopers discovered Brewer in possession of a shotgun and methamphetamine.  At the time of the stop, Brewer had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.

The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing.  Brewer will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jasmine Rae Valdez, age 26, of Ada, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, and to 33 months for one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country.  The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently.

On April 10, 2025, Valdez’s co-defendant, Brendan Kaleb Rains, age 26, of Ada, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country and 60 months in prison for one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country, to be served concurrently.  Rains pleaded guilty to the charges on June 11, 2024.

On October 29, 2024, Valdez pleaded guilty to the charges.  According to investigators, on August 29, 2023, Valdez and Rains forced entry into a Stonewall, Oklahoma residence.  During the ensuing altercation, Valdez participated in Rains’ attack on the occupants, actively assisting and enabling the attack, as well as acting to prevent another from coming to the victim’s aid or defense.  The crimes occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The Honorable Eric F. Melgren, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for Kansas, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing.  Valdez will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Samuel Shane Allgood, age 36, and Shannon Rae Scraper, age 44, both of Stilwell, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to charges relating to the exploitation and neglect of a minor in Indian country.

Allgood entered a guilty plea to one count of Sexual Exploitation of a Child/Use of a Child to Produce a Visual Depiction, punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.00.

Scraper entered a guilty plea to one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country, punishable by a maximum of life in prison, and a fine of $5,000.00.

The Indictment alleged that beginning in December 2016 and continuing until March 2024, Allgood employed, used, persuaded, enticed or coerced the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct and acted with the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct.

The Indictment further alleged that beginning in December 2016 and continuing until March 2024, while responsible for the health, safety, and welfare of a child under the age of 18, Scraper willfully and maliciously failed to provide the child with adequate nurturance, affection, and supervision, and failed to protect the child from sexual acts and materials that were not age appropriate.

The crimes occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Adair County Sheriff’s Office.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted Allgood’s plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted Scraper’s plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentences to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The defendants will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Bove represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tommy Allen Winkler, age 37, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information of one count of Theft in Indian Country.

The Information alleged that on November 16, 2022, and continuing until June 14, 2024, Winkler took and carried away, with intent to steal and purloin, money and personal property of three victims with a value exceeding $1,000.00.

The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.

A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Winkler was released on bond pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.