Eastern District of Oklahoma

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Caleb Colton Beauvais, age 32, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to six months in prison for one count of Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number.

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

On December 17, 2025, Beauvais pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on May 9, 2025, a deputy conducting a routine traffic stop discovered Beauvais in possession of a loaded .38 Special revolver from which the serial number had been obliterated.  When asked, Beauvais acknowledged that the firearm was missing its serial number.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Darrell Dee Faver, Jr., age 41, of McAlester, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information of two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country, punishable by a term of imprisonment up to life on each count.

The Information alleged that beginning in or about September 2017, and continuing until in or about October 2019, Faver knowingly engaged in and caused sexual contact with two victims who had not attained the age of 12 years, with an intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, degrade, and gratify the sexual desire of any person.

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

The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicole Paladino and Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Bobby Ray Skaggs, age 46, of Mannsville, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Indictment alleged that between January 2019 and December 2025, Skaggs knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

The charge arose from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.

The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.

Skaggs 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 Travon Maurice Lawrence, age 21, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for one count of Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country.

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

On November 10, 2025, Lawrence pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on July 5, 2025, police responding to a call of a shooting at an Okmulgee residence discovered the victim in critical condition with gunshot wounds to the arm and torso.  Witnesses reported that Lawrence became belligerent during a gathering, pulled a pistol, and fired shots at the victim before fleeing on foot.  Officers located Lawrence at an area residence a short time later and took him into custody without incident.

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

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, 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 Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Drake Ryan Allen, age 22, an Oklahoma resident, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country.

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

On October 7, 2025, Allen pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on January 15, 2025, Allen repeatedly struck the victim with brass knuckles, causing facial fractures, lacerations, and contusions.  Allen also attempted to strangle the victim, then struck the victim with an automobile he was driving as he fled the scene of the crime.

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

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior 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 Edith A. Singer represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Steven Ray Quigley, a/k/a Steven Woods, age 39, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender.

The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force.

On July 8, 2025, Quigley pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, Quigley was convicted by the State of Oklahoma of Lewd or Indecent Acts to Child Under 16 in Mayes County on October 11, 2012, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from May 2022 until May 22, 2026, Quigley failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian Country within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Quigley 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 Morgan Muzljakovich and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kenneth Glenn McCarroll, age 46, of McAlester, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, and Dating Partner by Strangling and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Indictment alleged that on or about June 22, 2026, McCarroll assaulted the victim, a dating partner, by strangling.

The crime occurred in Pittsburg County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw 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 McAlester Police Department.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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.

McCarroll 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 Guadalupe Mancera-Cabello, a/k/a Guadalupe Mancera Cabello, a/k/a Guadalupe Mancer-Cabello, a/k/a Guadalupe Cabello Mancera, age 47, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Eufaula, 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 Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

The Indictment alleged that on September 3, 2026, Mancera-Cabello, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on October 26, 2020.

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.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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.

Mancera-Cabello will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Colin Reece Neher, age 22, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Indictment alleged that beginning in or about February 2022, and continuing until on or about May 21, 2026, Neher knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view one or more matters which contained visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

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

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.

Neher was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Terrance Latrell Richardson, age 38, of Ada, 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 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, punishable by a minimum of 10 years consecutive to any other sentence imposed, and a $250,000 fine.

The Indictment alleged that on February 16, 2026, Richardson assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon – a firearm -- with intent to do bodily harm, and that Richardson knowingly used, carried, brandished, and discharged a firearm during the assault.

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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ada Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jennifer Luann Hammer, age 52, of Edmond, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Theft in Indian Country, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Indictment alleged that beginning in or about May 2019 and continuing until in or about December 2023, Hammer did take, and carry away with intent to steal and purloin, the personal property of another exceeding $1,000.00 in value.

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.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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.

Hammer will remain out of custody pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dillon Lee Vail, age 33, entered a guilty plea to one count of Arson in Indian Country, punishable by up to 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Indictment alleged that on May 13, 2026, Vail willfully and maliciously set fire to and burned the Fairfield Inn and Suites, a building and dwelling, placing the life of any person in jeopardy.

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 Muskogee Police Department, the Muskogee Fire Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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.

Vail 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 Jimmy Joe Johnson, age 31, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to sixty-three months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition.

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

On October 15, 2025, Johnson pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 14, 2025, law enforcement discovered Johnson in possession of 18 rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

The Honorable John A. Woodcock, Jr., Senior United States District Court Judge for the District of Maine, sitting by designation, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  Johnson 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 Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Deaundray Chrisshawn Williams, age 36, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to thirty-seven 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, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Okmulgee Police Department.

On September 23, 2025, Williams pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on December 15, 2024, law enforcement discovered Williams in possession of a revolver after having previously been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

The Honorable John A. Woodcock, Jr., Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, sitting by designation, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  Williams 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 Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that two foreign nationals unlawfully present in Oklahoma were sentenced on charges relating to a fraudulent payroll check scheme.  

• Bairon Nayn Cabrera-Martinez, 36, an illegal alien from Honduras unlawfully present in LeFlore County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to a term of 33 months in prison for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, and 33 months in prison for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.  The court set the terms to be served concurrently.  On April 1, 2026, Cabrera-Martinez pleaded guilty to the charges in federal district court.
   
• Carlos Eduardo Nuila-Ramos, 36, an illegal alien from El Salvador unlawfully present in LeFlore County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 22 months in prison for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and 22 months in prison for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.  The court set the terms to be served concurrently. On May 20, 2026, Nuila-Ramos pleaded guilty to the charges in federal district court.
    
• The court also ordered the defendants to pay restitution in the amount of $299,474.00.

On July 17, 2026, co-defendant Carlos Banegas-Contreras, 47, an illegal alien from Honduras, was sentenced to 27 months in prison for one count of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud after entering a guilty plea to the charge on October 6, 2025.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Secret Service, the Indiana State Police, the Benton County, Indiana Sheriff’s Department, the Benton County, Indiana Prosecutor’s Office, the Poteau, Oklahoma Police Department, and the Houston, Texas Police Department.

According to investigators, in June of 2023, Cabrera-Martinez, Nuila-Ramos, Banegas-Contreras, and others conspired to use fake identification cards to cash 178 fraudulent paychecks totaling $299,474.00 at three check-cashing businesses and five branches of a local bank.  The fraudulent paychecks were designed to look like they had been issued by a building materials supply company in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The Honorable John A. Woodcock, Jr., Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, sitting by designation, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  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 T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Matthew Wayne Wasson, age 32, of Henryetta, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

On August 14, 2025, Wasson pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on October 3, 2024, Wasson sold a baggie containing 107.8 grams of a crystalline substance which later tested positive for methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.

The Honorable John A. Woodcock, Jr., Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, sitting by designation, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  Wasson 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 Edith A. Singer represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Heather Lynn Harjo, age 40, formerly of Ada, Oklahoma, was sentenced to thirty-seven months in prison for one count of Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Ada Police Department, the Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Marshals Service.

On October 17, 2026, Harjo pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on April 28, 2025, while visiting an Ada residence, Harjo became involved in an altercation and—unreasonably believing herself to be in danger of imminent death or serious bodily injury—pulled a 9mm pistol and fired a single shot, striking and killing the victim.  Harjo fled and was captured eight weeks later on a fugitive arrest warrant in Dallas, Texas.

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

The Honorable John A. Woodcock, Jr., Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, sitting by designation, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  Harjo 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 Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jeremy Lee Poafpybitty, age 41, of Bunch, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 57 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm.

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

On November 3, 2025, Poafpybitty pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on May 6, 2025, law enforcement discovered Poafpybitty in possession of a 9mm semi-automatic pistol after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

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

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

The Honorable John A. Woodcock, Jr., Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, sitting by designation, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Poafpybitty 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 Ryan Conway and Lewis Reagan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Robbie Lee Holmes, age 38, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to an Information of one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Felony Information alleged that on or about June 21, 2025, Holmes, upon sudden quarrel and heat of passion, knowingly and unlawfully killed the victim.

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

The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the District 27 Drug and Violent Crime Taskforce, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service.

The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Conway represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ronald Craig Summers, age 35, of Spiro, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for one count of Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country.

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

On October 9, 2025, Summers pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, between January 2024 and continuing until October 7, 2024, Summers knowingly engaged in a sexual act with a child who had not attained the age of 12 years.

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

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, Tribal, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

The Honorable John A. Woodcock, Jr., Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, sitting by designation, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  Summers 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 Morgan Muzljakovich and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Scotty Edward Lester, age 46, of Idabel, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Indictment charged Lester with knowingly possessing one .38 Special caliber revolver on November 29, 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 Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.

Lester 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 Joshua Lee Bolin, age 27, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for one count of Receipt of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.

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

On July 24, 2025, Bolin pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, beginning in January 2024 and continuing until June 28, 2024, Bolin received visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, Tribal, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

The Honorable John A. Woodcock, Jr., Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, sitting by designation, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  Bolin 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 Anthony Joseph Ellison, age 32, of Coweta, 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 $250,000 fine.

The Indictment charged Ellison with knowingly possessing one 9x19mm caliber, semi-automatic pistol, one multi-caliber, semi-automatic rifle, and 10 rounds of 9mm Luger caliber ammunition in December 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 Coweta Police Department.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.

Ellison 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 Andre Deshawn Love, age 45, of Colbert, 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 $250,000 fine.

The Indictment charged Love with knowingly possessing one .380ACP caliber, semi-automatic pistol and 42 rounds of assorted .380ACP caliber ammunition on November 6, 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 Bryan County Sheriff’s Office.

The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.

Love 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 Billy Jack Janoe, age 43, of Antlers, 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 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Indictment alleged that on or about March 18, 2026, Janoe assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm.

The crime occurred in Pushmataha 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 Antlers Police Department, and the Pushmataha County Sheriff’s Office.

The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Concepcion Soto-Rivera, a/k/a Conception Soto-Rivera, age 41, a Mexican national unlawfully present in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.

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

On May 12, 2026, Soto-Rivera pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on March 17, 2026, Soto-Rivera, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on October 30, 2016, October 18, 2014, August 13, 2008, June 23, 2008, May 21, 2008, May 17, 2008, and May 13, 2008.

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.

The Honorable Senior District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr., of the United States District Court of the District of Maine, sitting by designation, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Knutson represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Gary Logan Pruitt, age 24, and Jade Larae Duncan, a/k/a Jade Larae Nakedhead, age 29, of Rocky Mountain, Oklahoma, each entered guilty pleas to one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country, punishable by a term of up to life imprisonment.

The Indictment alleged that between on or about April 8, 2025, and on or about April 22, 2025, Pruitt and Duncan willfully and maliciously failed and omitted to provide supervision to protect from harm or threatened harm to a child under the age of eighteen by failing to seek medical care for the victim while the defendants were responsible for the victim’s health, safety, and welfare.

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 Cherokee Nation Marshal Service.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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.

Defendants will remain out on bond with conditions pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Luis Alberto Garcia, age 64, a Mexican national unlawfully present in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.

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

On September 2, 2026, Garcia pleaded guilty to a Felony Indictment of the charge.  According to investigators, on August 17, 2026, Garcia, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on May 30, 2008.

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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chuck Sullivan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Francisco Martinez-Infante, a/k/a Raymundo Infante-Ochoa, age 43, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Spiro, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than twenty 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 Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

The Indictment alleged that on June 23, 2026, Martinez-Infante, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on March 1, 2024.

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.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.

Martinez-Infante will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that William Claborn Clark, a/k/a William Claborn Clark, Jr., a/k/a William Elaborn Clark, Jr., age 46, of Valliant, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.

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

On November 10, 2025, Clark pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on May 10, 2025, law enforcement discovered Clark in possession of one .45ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol, one .30-06 caliber bolt-action rifle, one break-open rifle, and 23 rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Clark 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 Olivia Staubus represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Juan Cervantes Rodriguez, a/k/a Arellano Antonio Gomez, a/k/a Juan Roberto Cervantes, a/k/a Juan Cervantes Rodriguez, a/k/a Juan Rober Cervantes, a/k/a Juan Robert Cervantes, a/k/a Juan Cervantes-Rodriguez, a/k/a Juan Rober Cervantes-Rodriguez, a/k/a Antonio Gomez Arellano, a/k/a Juan Robert Rodriguez, a/k/a Juan Rober Rodriguez-Cervantes, age 47, a Mexican national unlawfully present in McCurtain, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.

The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation.

On June 11, 2026, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on April 21, 2026, Rodriguez, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on May 3, 2010, August 29, 2011, and November 29, 2017.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chuck Sullivan and Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Adrian Alcantar-Sanchez, a/k/a Pedro Ruiz-Betancur, age 46, a Mexican national unlawfully present in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 78 months in prison for one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and 78 months imprisonment for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division.

On November 14, 2025, Alcantar-Sanchez pleaded guilty to the charges. According to investigators, on March 29, 2025, a trooper conducting a routine traffic stop on I-40 in Sequoyah County discovered Alcantar-Sanchez in possession of 878.7 grams of pure fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.   At the time he was apprehended, Alcantar-Sanchez had been previously removed from the United States on June 19, 2009, and April 6, 2012, and was in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission.

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.

The Honorable John F. Heil, III, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Alcantar-Sanchez 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 Edith Singer represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Levi Grant Loyd, a/k/a Levi Grant Lloyd, age 37, of Westville, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.

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

On November 6, 2025, Loyd pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on June 4, 2025, law enforcement serving an outstanding felony arrest warrant discovered Loyd in knowing possession of one 12 gauge, semi-automatic shotgun, one 20 gauge pump paction shotgun, one .22 caliber, bolt action rifle, one .22 caliber, semi-automatic rifle, 8 rounds of 12 gauge ammunition, and 18 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Loyd 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 Edith Singer represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dalton Dean Harjo, a/k/a Dolo, age 19, of Seminole, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Use, Carry and Brandish a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence, punishable by no less than 7 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Indictment alleged that on April 8, 2026, Harjo knowingly used, carried, and brandished a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol during and in relation to a crime of violence for which he may be prosecuted in a court of the United States, that is, Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm.

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, the Seminole Police Department, and the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police Department.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the United States.

Note, Johnson was sentenced to 60 months in prison. A previous version of the release misstated his prison sentence. The release has been updated.

Former NFL player LeShon Johnson of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was sentenced today to 60 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $30,000 fine after being convicted at trial of six dog fighting-related charges.

Testimony at trial showed that Johnson — who pleaded guilty in 2004 to Oklahoma dog fighting offenses — had been running a major operation since at least 2007 that bred and sold fighting dogs for profit. Johnson, who previously ran “Krazyside Kennels” referred to his new operation as “Mal Kant Kennels.” The jury heard evidence that Johnson bred and trafficked hundreds of dogs for the purpose of dog fighting around the country. Authorities seized 190 dogs from his property, the largest number ever seized from a single individual in a federal dog fighting case.

“LeShon Johnson will face justice for building another particularly egregious and violent dog fighting scheme,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “As Johnson was well aware, dog fighting is a felony in all 50 states. To anyone attempting to build violent and illicit business schemes: you can run, but you can’t hide from the Department of Justice.”  

“LeShon Johnson continued to traffic dogs for illegal fighting despite a 2004 state conviction for similar conduct,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “We are grateful to our colleagues at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma and the FBI for partnering with ENRD to bring this repeat offender to justice and to the U.S. Marshals Service for executing the biggest rescue operation of its kind.”

“The defendant operated a business which promoted and profited from animal cruelty,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. “I applaud our law enforcement partners for their work to investigate this case and hold Mr. Johnson accountable for his crimes.”

“The animals in this case were defenseless and the defendant used them to harm each other for his entertainment,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “The FBI appreciates the work of ENRD and the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Oklahoma to hold Mr. Johnson responsible for his mistreatment of these animals.”

At trial, the jury heard evidence that Johnson advertised many of his dogs as “champions” and “grand champions,” meaning they had won three or five fights, respectively. Johnson also boasted of the fighting prowess of his dogs. Johnson would sell litters of puppies from favorable fighting bloodlines and “stud fees” for the right to breed with one of his male dogs, with proceeds totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

The FBI’s New Orleans Field Office, Shreveport Resident Agency Office investigated the case.

Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section is prosecuting the case. Additional assistance was provided by former Trial Attorneys Ethan Eddy, Sarah Brown, and Todd Gleason of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section, and by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan Howanitz and Olivia Staubus for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Vet Sentrel Colbert, age 44, of Atoka, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 3 years’ probation 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 Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police.

On November 5, 2025, Colbert pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on August 3, 2024, law enforcement discovered Colbert in possession of a 9mm Luger caliber, semi-automatic pistol after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lewis M. Reagan and Edith Singer represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Vicki Lou Rhyne, age 45, of Broken Bow, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to three counts of Child Abuse in Indian Country, each count punishable by a term of up to Life in prison and a $5,000 fine.

The Indictment alleged that between in or about January 2025 and on or about August 5, 2025, Rhyne willfully and maliciously caused harm, failed to protect from harm, and tortured and injured three children under the age of eighteen. The Indictment further alleged that Rhyne withheld food as punishment, restrained the minor victims, and struck and slapped them, all while responsible for the children’s health, safety, and welfare.

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

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

The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.

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

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 Adan Cruz-Castillo, a/k/a Adan Cruz-Castillo, a/k/a Adan Cruz, a/k/a Adam Cruz, 33, a Mexican national unlawfully present in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.

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

On July 29, 2026, Cruz-Castillo pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on June 18, 2026, Cruz-Castillo, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on June 23, 2022, and January 12, 2018.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Knutson represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Martin Aranda Zavala, a/k/a Martin Misael Aranda Zavala, age 29, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Illegal Alien in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by imprisonment for up to 15 years and a $250,000 fine.

The Indictment alleged that on May 6, 2026, Zavala, an alien, was found in possession of one semi-automatic pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition, knowing that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States.

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

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.

The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chuck Sullivan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that OSNI AYALA AVELAR, a/k/a Hosni Hernandez, a/k/a Hosni Ayala Avelar, a/k/a Hosni Aldair Hernandez-Avelar, a/k/a Hosni A. Ayala, a/k/a Osni Aldair Ayala-Avelar, a/k/a Osni Ayala, a/k/a Hosni Hernandez-Avelor, a/k/a Hosni Hernandez-Avelar, age 35, a Salvadoran national unlawfully present in Pittsburg 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.

The Indictment alleged that on June 12, 2026, Avelar, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on July 26, 2017, January 28, 2011, and May 26, 2009.

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.

The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Knutson represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Robert William Rainford, age 51, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Second-Degree Murder in Indian Country, punishable by imprisonment for a period of any term of years and up to life, and a $250,000 fine.

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

On May 5, 2023, Rainford was found guilty at trial by a federal jury for one count of First-Degree Murder in Indian Country in the shooting death of Rainford’s Muskogee neighbor.  Rainford appealed that conviction to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, arguing that the jury instructions given in his case limited the ability of jurors to evaluate the defenses he offered at trial.   The Tenth Circuit agreed, reversing the conviction and remanding Rainford’s case to district court for a new trial.

During the plea hearing, Rainford agreed that at trial, the Government could prove beyond a reasonable doubt that on December 12, 2021, in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Rainford unlawfully shot and killed his neighbor, an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, with malice aforethought.  As part of the written plea agreement, the parties agreed that a sentence of 120 months imprisonment is an appropriate disposition of the case.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court, 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 parties’ recommendation, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other statutory factors.

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

Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Conway represented the United States at the hearing.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that BILLIE RENEE VANN, 41, of Welling, Oklahoma, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of Murder in Indian Country –Second Degree, one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country, and one count of Use, Carry, and Brandish of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.

The jury trial began with testimony on August 4, 2026, and concluded on August 6, 2026, with the guilty verdicts.

During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on September 5, 2022, Vann:

• failed to shield her son, then a teenager and minor in her care, from exposure to illegal activity while charged with the duty of his care and welfare;
• aided and abetted her teenage son to commit murder; and
• armed herself with a handgun and purposefully brandished it during the commission of the murder.

On July 1, 2026, Vann’s co-defendants each pleaded guilty in federal district court to charges relating to the shooting.  Jermyn Damon Vann Jr., 21, of Welling, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to two counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to Do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, and one count of Causing the Death of a Person in the Course of a Violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c).  Jermyn Damon Vann Sr., 41, of Welling, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Child Neglect in Indian Country.

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

The guilty verdicts were the result of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Tahlequah Police Department, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior 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.  Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Dean Burris and Olivia Staubus represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Rodanim Castellanos-Julian, a/k/a Rodanim Castellanos, age 27, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Haskell 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.

The Indictment alleged that on July 3, 2026, Castellanos-Julian, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on December 5, 2024.

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.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.

Castellanos-Julian will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Knutson represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that ARNULFO FERNANDEZ SOLIS, a/k/a Carlos Fernandez Soliz, a/k/a Carlos Alberto Solis, a/k/a Carlos Alberto Alimaranon, a/k/a Juan Garcia Paramo, a/k/a Juan Garciap, a/k/a Carlos Albert Solis, a/k/a Samuel Santana, a/k/a Carlos Soliz, a/k/a Carlos F. Soliz, a/k/a Carlos A. Solis, a/k/a Juan Paramo, a/k/a Carlos Slismaranon, a/k/a Arnulfo Fernandez, a/k/a Carlos Albert Soliz, a/k/a Arnulfo Solis Fernandez, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Okmulgee 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.

The Indictment alleged that on April 24, 2026, Solis, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on May 2, 2005, June 28, 2001, and January 29, 1998.

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.

The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chuck Sullivan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Michael Dee Jamison, a/k/a Michael Holt, 54, of Durant, 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 $250,000 fine.

The Indictment charged Jamison with knowingly possessing one .22 long rifle caliber, bolt-action rifle and 54 rounds of .22 long rifle caliber ammunition on April 9, 2026, 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 Bryan County Sheriff’s Office.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chuck Sullivan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Justin Leon Westbrook, 43, of McAlester, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Distribution of Methamphetamine, punishable by a minimum of five years and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine, and one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The Indictment charged Westbrook with knowingly and intentionally distributing 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual), a Schedule II controlled substance, on July 23, 2025.

The Indictment also charged Westbrook with knowingly possessing one semi-automatic pistol, serial number obliterated, on July 29, 2025, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Chuck Sullivan represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Adan Cruz Castillo, a/k/a Adan Cruz-Castillo, a/k/a Adan Cruz, a/k/a Adam Cruz, 33, a Mexican national unlawfully present in McIntosh County, Oklahoma, plead 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 Checotah Police Department.

The Indictment alleged that on June 18, 2026, Cruz Castillo, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on June 23, 2022, and January 12, 2018.

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.

The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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.

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

Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Knutson represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Angel Roberto Chavez-Nunez, a/k/a Angel Roberto Chavez Nunez, 33, a Cuban national unlawfully present in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than 15 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Okmulgee County District Attorney’s Office.

The Indictment alleged that on November 4, 2025, Chavez-Nunez, an alien illegally and unlawfully present in the United States and knowing of such status, knowingly possessed six rounds of ammunition and one semi-automatic rifle shipped in interstate commerce.

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.

The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.

Chavez-Nunez 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 Tyson Gene Williams, 46, of Muskogee, and Tyson Gene Goins, 21, of Wagoner, were sentenced today in federal district court.

Williams was sentenced to 57 months for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.   Williams pleaded guilty to the charge on October 6, 2025.

Goins was sentenced to 51 months for one count of Possession of a Stolen Firearm, and to 51 months for one count of Illegal Receipt of a Firearm by a Person Under Indictment or Information.  The Court ordered the terms to be served concurrently.  Goins pleaded guilty to the charges on September 10, 2025.

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

According to investigators, on April 19, 2025, an officer initiating a routine traffic stop on Williams’ and Goins’ vehicle discovered Williams in possession of two semi-automatic pistols and 27 rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

During the stop, Goins was discovered in possession of two semi-automatic pistols, knowing that the firearms were stolen. At the time of the traffic stop, Goins was under Indictment for a felony criminal case in McIntosh County District Court.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior 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 Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Leran Ortiz Pittman, 42, of Davis, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 15 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 Davis Police Department.

On October 21, 2025, Pittman pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, Pittman knowingly possessed a semi-automatic pistol on January 7, 2025, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.

Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Pittman 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 Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.