Northern District of Oklahoma
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Broken Arrow Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing Several Firearm SwitchesRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Broken Arrow man was sentenced for unlawfully possessing “switches” that are used to convert a handgun into a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Derrick Carl Andrew Chatman, 25, of Broken Arrow, for Illegal Possession of a Machine Gun. Chatman was ordered to serve 24 months imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release.
In July 2025, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) was contacted by the Tulsa Police Department about recovering a firearm with an attached machinegun conversion device commonly known as a “switch.” A parent found the gun and ammunition in their juvenile’s bedroom. With the parents’ permission, the juvenile spoke with law enforcement and disclosed that he purchased the firearm at a gun show at the fairgrounds. While at the gun show, the juvenile met a man who sold and installed
a switch.When law enforcement searched Chatman’s home, they found a firearm, several rounds of ammunition, and a box with a shipping label from China that contained firearm switches. During the investigation, the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol intercepted a second package addressed to Chatman from China that contained an additional 15 machine gun conversion devices.
State court records show that Chatman was charged in July 2024 with two counts of unlawful possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm while committing a felony, and other crimes. Shortly after being charged, Chatman pleaded guilty, was sentenced, and was under the State's supervision when federally indicted.
Chatman will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The ATF, the Tulsa Police Department, and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods focuses on the most pressing violent crime issues facing our communities. This nationwide initiative brings together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors to strategically address and reduce violent crime, in collaboration with other agencies and organizations that serve communities.
Skiatook Man Found Guilty by Federal Jury for Threatening to Kill Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury convicted a Skiatook, Oklahoma man for making multiple posts on X threatening to shoot, kill, and gun down federal U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
Logan Christopher Murfin, 26, was convicted of five counts of Threatening to Assault and Murder Federal Law Enforcement Officers with Intent to Impede, Intimidate, Interfere, and Retaliate and five counts of Interstate Communication with a Threat to Injure.
“Threatening to kill hard-working federal law enforcement officers will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “In the Northern District of Oklahoma, we will prosecute those who do to the fullest extent that federal law allows.”
“This verdict underscores the seriousness with which threats against federal agents are treated. In the past year, we have seen a significant increase in violence, including death threats and assaults, toward our personnel. We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to ensure those who attempt to intimidate or harm federal officers are held accountable,” said Travis Pickard, HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge. “This outcome sends a clear message that such actions will not be tolerated.”
According to evidence presented at trial, agents with Homeland Security Investigations received an intelligence report in October 2025 flagging threatening posts made on X about “gunning down” and shooting ICE agents. The threats were posted under the username, “Azulenq.” Agents obtained search warrants to identify the user making these public online posts. The data collected from the search warrants was presented to the jury, which identified the X account user Azulenq as Murfin. The investigation showed that he was posting threatening messages from his home in Skiatook.
Murfin was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2025. After being arrested and Mirandized, Murfin spoke with agents and stated he was angry and “pissed off” at ICE agents and admitted to making the posts on the X account. The jury heard a recording of the interview at trial.
Some of the exhibits presented to the jury and included with this press release show that Murfin's posts were in response to other users' posts about ICE agents' activities in the community, including arrests and enforcement of federal law.
Public posts made by Murfin:
October 18, 2025: Need too start shooting these “just following orders” pigs. Ice agents are reenacting ww2 nazi germany and its not acceptable. Only good ice terrorist is buried 6 feet under.October 17, 2025: Every ICE agent needs shot between the eyes “just following orders” isn’t acceptable and they already exposed they are human garbage.
October 17, 2025: Every ice gestapo needs too be shot. 2nd amendment right too carry everyone should stay armed and when these terrorists come by just kill them. They don’t deserve too live after “just following orders” we aren’t reliving ww2 germany. They don’t want due process so show em
September 28, 2025: Nah but we as US citizens should be gunning down these domestic terrorists. All ice gestapo can not use the “just following orders” excuse. If you’re complicit in this act you’ve gotta be executed for this act.
September 28, 2025: ice gestapo agents need to either be executed publicy. “just following orders” is not a valid excuse in modern days
Prior to trial, Murfin was on bond. He was taken into custody after the jury found him guilty and sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Scaife and Christopher J. Nassar prosecuted the case.
Exhibits Presented to the Jury:
Tulsan Sentenced After Jury Convicted Him of Shooting Another ManRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced after being found guilty by a federal jury in December 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Bruce Mitchell Cass, 52, for Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Cass was ordered to serve 166 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
In December 2024, a federal jury heard evidence and testimony about Cass walking into a home wearing a mask and pointing a gun at several people, including a toddler, before he shot the victim once. In July 2024, Tulsa Police Officers were dispatched to a shooting. When officers arrived on the scene, they found the victim, shot once in the abdomen. Medical personnel rendered aid and transported the victim to a local hospital for emergency surgery. Before surgery, the victim identified Cass as the shooter.
Court dockets show that Cass is a felon and previously convicted of violent crimes in state court, including arson, after pouring gasoline on a grocery store clerk and the counter, then igniting it.
Cass is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Jolly and Ammon Brisolara prosecuted the case.
April Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the April Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Roberto Angul-Iribe. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms. Roberto Angulo-Iribe, 55, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-152
Kevon Aldair Bautista-Marin. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Bautista-Marin, 29, a Guatemalan national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after previously being removed in August 2016, November 2020, November 2022, and May 2023. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-144
Leonel Cruz Perez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Cruz Perez, 34, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after previously being removed in October 2011 and August 2015. Further, Cruz Perez is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-146
Daniel Estrada. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Estrada, 28, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Osborn is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-145
Michael Emilio Gonzalez. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Emilio Gonzalez, 18, of Catoosa, is charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-153
Perfecto Alejandro Lopez Carrera; Cristian Bernardo Zamora. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Lopez Carrera, 33, a Guatemalan national, and Bernardo Zamora, 26, a Mexican national, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from February 2026 through March 2026. They are additionally charged with knowingly possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Lopez Carrera is further charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-140
Michael Keith Meeks. Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition. Meeks, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing firearms and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore and Valeria Luster are prosecuting the case. 26-CR-154
Kevin Allen Pilon. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Pilon, 31, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-147
Arturo Uribe. Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition; Possession of Stolen Firearms. Uribe, 29, of Commerce, is charged with possessing firearms and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. Further, he is charged with knowingly being in possession of several stolen firearms. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Quapaw Nation Marshal Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Miami Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Flynn is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-141
Ramiro Vergara Urquiza. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Vergara Urquiza, 52, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. He is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after previously being removed in March 2023. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-142
Charles Alan Walker*. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography. Walker, 41, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is charged with knowingly attempting to coerce a minor child to engage in a sexually explicit activity. He is additionally charged with attempting to receive images of children being sexually abused. Homeland Security Investigations, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-143
*Charles Alan Walker was tried by a federal jury in July 2026 and acquitted of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography.
Vinita Man Convicted by Federal Jury for Raping a 16-Year-OldRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – After a three-day jury trial, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict convicting a Vinita man after he raped a 16-year-old in November 2025.
Garret Lee Monroe, 37, of Vinita and a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming, was convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force in Indian Country.
On November 30, 2025, Vinita Police officers were dispatched to a fight in progress. When officers arrived, they broke up a fight between Monroe and another man. Officers spoke with the man, who stated that he was contacted by the 16-year-old minor victim, who asked him to come home as soon as possible, because something bad had happened. The man explained that the minor victim told him that Monroe had strangled and raped her and threatened to kill her. The man confronted Monroe for raping the minor victim and a fight ensued.
Officers then spoke with the 16-year-old minor victim. She told officers that Monroe woke her up in the middle of the night by covering her mouth and strangling her. When the minor victim testified, she explained to the jury that while Monroe was strangling her, she could not breathe and thought she was going to die. She began screaming and Monroe put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. Monroe then proceeded to rape the minor victim. After he was finished, Monroe told the victim he was afraid he was “gonna go to prison” and offered to pay the victim $500 a week not to tell anyone.
When the SANE nurse testified, she went through her detailed reports and explained to the jury what the minor victim
stated at the hospital. The nurse took DNA swabs and photographed the 16-year-old’s injuries. The photographs were shown to the jury, including photos of bruises and abrasions to her neck and of the petechiae in the victim’s eyes and on her face caused by the strangulation.During the trial, a DNA expert with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation confirmed that the swabs taken from the minor victim matched the victim and Monroe’s DNA.
Court dockets show that Monroe is a prior felon and was previously convicted of serious offenses, including assault and battery on an officer, assault and battery with a deadly weapon, and robbery. When Monroe was sentenced in 2007 for robbery, he was sentenced to 20 years in the Department of Corrections, with 16 years suspended. Monroe did not comply with the terms of his release. His suspended sentence was revoked. The court docket shows that he was released seven months prior to the rape.
The FBI, the Vinita Police Department, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey Todd and Blithe Cravens prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted 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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal 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.
Chicago Man Sentenced After Sending Racial and Violent Sexual Threats to Women in TulsaRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Chicago, Illinois, man was sentenced for using Facebook to racially threaten, intimidate, and harass two women living in Tulsa, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced John Gregory Garza, 25, for Cyberstalking and two counts of Interstate Communication of Threat to Injure. Judge Russell ordered Garza to serve 46 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. The Court applied a hate crime sentencing enhancement after it found Garza selected one victim because of race and gender, and the other victim because of gender.
Court documents show that in June 2024, Garza used more than 18 alias accounts on Facebook to send threatening messages to numerous individuals. Two unrelated victims that lived in Tulsa were identified in Garza’s messaging. Both victims reported the derogatory, hateful, and threatening messages to Facebook and law enforcement. The investigation revealed that Garza posted racial comments about interracial relationships and acts of sexual violence towards his victims and others. After a further review of Garza’s Facebook accounts, agents found that he messaged with others about his radical views and desire to commit acts of mass violence.
Garza will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulguaard.
Claremore Man Sentenced for Receiving and Distributing Images and Videos of Children Being Sexually AbusedRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Claremore man was sentenced today after a cybertip showed that he was downloading and sharing child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced James Daniel Lee Campbell, 22, for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. Campbell was ordered to serve 97 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Campbell will be required to register as a sex offender and is prohibited from looking at sexually explicit materials, such as pornography. Judge Hill further ordered Campbell to pay $3,000 in restitution.
In October 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received a cybertip. Campbell was identified as the user, and the cybertip stated that he uploaded, shared, and saved a video of a child being sexually abused. When agents served a search warrant at Campbell’s home, they seized several electronic devices. Court documents show that when agents looked through Campbell’s devices, he was using Snapchat and Telegram to chat with others about child sexual abuse material, and to share and receive photos and videos. He was further using pre-teen dating applications to connect with children.
Campbell possessed 47 videos and 13 images of children being sexually abused. Agents reported that the material included the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, a video involving bestiality, and additional images containing child erotica. The images and videos found on his devices were sent to the National Child Victim Identification System, managed by the NCMEC, for identification. Eleven individuals were identified and allowed to submit victim impact statements to the court. Restitution paid by Campbell will go directly to the victim who requested restitution.
Previously released on bond, Campbell was taken into custody following his guilty plea in October 2025. He will remain in custody, pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Flynn prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal 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.
Two Mexican Nationals Sentenced for Working with Cartels to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Two Mexican nationals were sentenced for working with the cartel to distribute drugs around Tulsa, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Today, U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Ventura Rivera Arteaga, 41, for Drug Conspiracy and Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. He was ordered to 46 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
Rivera Arteaga’s co-defendant, Ruben Amador Meza Medina, 21, pleaded guilty to Drug Conspiracy in November 2025. He was previously sentenced to 46 months' imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
Agents were investigating the distribution of fentanyl in the Tulsa area and executed a search warrant on a home in east Tulsa. Inside the home, agents found a large quantity of fentanyl, more than $25,000 in cash, digital scales, and cellphones. The defendants admitted that they worked with each other and others within the cartel to package and distribute fentanyl throughout Tulsa. Meza Medina told agents that he came into the United States seeking employment, but distributed drugs instead. When Rivera Arteaga entered the United States, he met up with Meza Medina to help distribute fentanyl. Both defendants admitted that they were unlawfully inside the United States, and court documents show that Rivera Arteaga was previously removed in 2024.
Both defendants will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and are expected to face removal proceedings after being released from prison.
The Tulsa Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris prosecuted the case.
Transient Man Living in Tulsa Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A transient man was sentenced today for failing to register as a sex offender after being arrested living near more than 10 childcare facilities in South Tulsa, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel sentenced Kenneth James Sequichie, 47, to 20 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Upon his release, Sequichie will be required to register as a sex offender.
Court records show that Sequichie was convicted of lewd molestation in two separate State court cases. In 2000, he received a 10-year suspended sentence. After his second offense in 2003, he was ordered to serve 15 years in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Sequichie has a lengthy criminal history and has been convicted of 28 offenses, including physically abusing a child, violently assaulting others, possessing illegal firearms, dealing drugs, escaping custody, and failing to maintain his sex
offender registry.After being released for his latest conviction of child abuse and aggravated assault and battery, he registered as a sex offender and claimed that he was living in Tahlequah. However, Cherokee Nation Marshals discovered that Sequichie had left Tahlequah and was homeless. When marshals began investigating Sequichie's whereabouts, they discovered that he had registered for SNAP benefits and claimed to be living in Bunch, Oklahoma. However, he was primarily buying food at gas stations in South Tulsa, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
When Sequichie was arrested by Tulsa Police officers in South Tulsa, he was living under a bridge, near more than 10 childcare facilities or schools.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service investigated the case with the assistance of the Tulsa Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal 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.
Indian Citizen in the United States on Student Visa Found Guilty of Conspiring with Others to Defraud a Vietnam VeteranRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury today convicted a citizen of India in the United States on a student visa for conspiring with others to knowingly defraud a 79-year-old Vietnam Veteran in Delaware County.
Venkateswara Chagamreddy, 27, living in San Antonio, Texas, was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.
In August 2025, the elderly victim called a phone number that he believed was Microsoft support. While speaking with “Microsoft,” the victim was told that criminal activity had been detected on his computer and that information would be turned over to the federal government. The victim was then contacted by someone who identified themselves as a federal officer and provided a false badge number. The fake federal officer told the victim that his identity had been stolen and provided to criminals, which resulted in him being “investigated,” and that his identity was used to commit federal crimes.
The fake federal officer spoke with the elderly victim about his finances and stated that he would be transferred to the “treasury department.” The victim was told that his money needed to be transferred to gold and that an “officer” would pick it up the following day. The elderly victim complied and provided photos of the gold. When the fake officer arrived, the victim handed over the package.
A few days later, the victim was contacted again by the fake federal officer, who demanded more funds. The victim contacted a family member, who explained that he was being scammed and contacted the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. With the victim's cooperation, deputies scheduled another pickup. When Chagamreddy arrived at the victim’s home at the scheduled time and date, he was arrested. Evidence presented to the jury showed that he had $500 in cash, a cell phone, and 23 ounces of gold in
the vehicle.An agent testified about the messaging found on Chagamreddy’s phone. The exhibits shown to the jury clearly show that he was working with another individual to defraud numerous victims within 48 hours. The agent testified that Chagamreddy flew from Austin to North Carolina where he picked up gold from an 87-year-old woman. Trial evidence showed that after delivering the gold to a different co-conspirator, Chagamreddy sent a photo of a dollar bill with “29 oz rec 3000 paid” written on it.
The messages indicate that the following day, Chagamreddy drove from Austin, Texas, to Andale, Kansas, starting at 1:21 am. Throughout the drive, Chagamreddy would provide status updates, including screenshots of his location and fuel levels, to the co-conspirator. Upon arrival, Chagamreddy booked a hotel room to rest for a few hours and then drove to the destination he had been directed to. The co-conspirator described the 75-year-old woman from whom Chagamreddy would be picking up gold. Chagamreddy then sent a photo of a sealed box to the co-conspirator with a message that said, “23 Oz.”
After completing that trip, the agent testified that the messaging showed that Chagamreddy then drove to Delaware County, Oklahoma. The co-conspirator described the 79-year-old that he would be getting gold from and provided a photo of the victim, who was visibly wearing a Vietnam veteran shirt. The victim lived alone on a rural road. Chagamreddy was actively providing photos, showing that he was lost. After finding the location, Chagamreddy provided one photo confirming that he arrived and was detained shortly after by Delaware County Sheriff’s deputies.
In 2025, the Department of Justice reported to Congress that more than 280 enforcement actions were taken against over 600 defendants, many of whom were in the United States illegally or were extradited to be prosecuted. Collectively, the defendants attempted to steal, or stole, over $2.3 billion from more than one million Americans. The Department pursued more than 40 types of elder fraud. Investment fraud ranked number one, with more than $1.8 billion in losses, followed by fraudulent tech support at $982 million.
The Elder Justice Initiative website provides several scenarios and red flags to help educate yourself and loved ones about the types of abuse, including financial exploitation.
Chagamreddy will remain in custody until sentencing is scheduled at a later date.
Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Greenough and Augustus Forster prosecuted the case.
To find help or report elder abuse, you can contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311)
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, Monday – Friday. Elder Justice Neighborhood Resources for Oklahoma are available here.New Jersey Company Agrees to Repay $3.25 Million in CARES Act FundingRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A civil settlement was unsealed showing that a New Jersey company agreed to pay back $3.25 million after receiving too much funding from the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program it was ineligible to receive, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
In 2020, Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, commonly known as the “CARES Act.” Qualifying businesses were authorized to obtain a forgivable disaster loan to preserve jobs in industries impacted by COVID-19. When the CARES Act was amended, applicants were allowed to seek a second round of disaster relief funding, with restrictions on funding for single corporations. Additionally, corporations seeking a second disbursement could not employ more than
300 employees.Under the Federal False Claims Act, private individuals act as qui tam, “whistleblowers,” and may bring lawsuits against entities that have committed fraud against the government. A qui tam Civil Complaint was filed by GNGH2, Inc. in March 2024, alleging that Eurecat U.S. Incorporated (Eurecat) violated the False Claims Act. Court documents show that Eurecat allegedly employed more than 9,000 people and is a subsidiary of a large publicly traded company, Albemarle Corporation. Eurecat is a New Jersey business corporation with its principal place of business in Houston, Texas. They also operate a chemical plant in
McAlester, Oklahoma.Court documents allege that Eurecat applied for a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan from the Small Business Administration in May 2020 and received $2,736,400, which was forgiven. In February 2021, Eurecat applied for a second PPP loan and received an additional $2,000,000. After receiving the funds, they sought loan forgiveness a second time, and it was granted in August 2021.
In the Settlement Agreement, Eurecat admitted to exceeding the employee threshold to be eligible for a second-draw PPP loan. They agreed to pay the United States $3,250,000, of which $2,068,44.44 is restitution. After the restitution is paid, the United States will pay GNGH2, Inc. $325,000 as its statutory share under the False Claims Act for bringing the suit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Cooper represented the Northern District of Oklahoma, and the Small Business Administration’s Office of General Counsel assisted in the litigation of this case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
Drug Dealer Sentenced in Two Separate Federal CasesRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa drug dealer was sentenced in two separate federal cases for distributing drugs throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Tony Eugene Bahe, 38, for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, and Possession of a Firearm while Drug Trafficking. He was ordered to 180 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. In the second case, Bahe was sentenced for Drug Conspiracy. He was ordered to concurrently serve 120 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, in November 2024, Tulsa Police officers executed two search warrants on homes they believed Bahe was using for drug distribution. During the execution of his home in south Tulsa, officers found Bahe with a loaded firearm in his pocket. During a search of the residence, officers recovered 8 grams of fentanyl, more than 50 grams of methamphetamine broken down for distribution, drug scales, and additional drug distribution paraphernalia.
While searching the second home located in north Tulsa, officers recovered more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine, ballistic body armor, digital scales, and additional items used for drug distribution. A K-9 conducted an open-air sniff on Bahe’s truck and alerted its handler that drugs were present. Officers searched the vehicle and found an additional 24 kilograms of methamphetamine in the truck.
While searching both homes, officers seized more than 22 guns from the properties. Court records show that Bahe has been convicted of several felonies that make it unlawful for him to possess a firearm and ammunition.
In Bahe’s second indictment, he admitted to conspiring with several others to distribute bulk quantities of methamphetamine throughout the Tulsa community. Once Bahe obtained a large quantity, he would break it down for individual sale.
Bahe is a member of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Tulsa Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshal Service, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy prosecuted the case.
Serial Child Predator Sentenced for Accessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A serial child predator was sentenced today for accessing child pornography after being previously convicted of possessing child sexual abuse material twice, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson sentenced William Don Woods, 49, of Claremore, for Possession of and Access with Intent to View Child Pornography. Woods was ordered to serve 120 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Woods will be required to register as a sex offender.
Federal court dockets show that Woods was convicted in 2008 for Possession of Child Pornography. He knowingly possessed videos and images of children under 12 being sexually abused. Woods was ordered to serve 87 months imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, required to register as a sex offender, and ordered not to view, purchase, or possess any form of pornography. In 2014, 2015, and 2016, Woods violated his supervised release by looking at photos of children and pornography.
In 2017, Woods was indicted a second time for Possession of Child Pornography. He admitted to viewing videos of children being sexually abused under the age of 12. He was ordered to serve 120 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Again, Woods was required to not view, purchase, or possess any form of pornography.
Five weeks after his latest release from prison, in the fall of 2025, Woods was caught again searching for, accessing, and possessing child pornography. He was indicted in November 2025 and pleaded guilty the following month. Woods admitted to using DuckDuckGo to access videos and images of children under 12 years old being sexually abused.
Woods will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Scaife prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal 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.
Tulsan Sentenced for Possessing Cocaine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced today for Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson sentenced Daryl Delando Jackson, 39, to 108 months imprisonment, followed by 8 years of supervised release.
In June 2025, Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers observed a vehicle driving 100 mph in a 65-mph zone. When troopers attempted to pull Jackson over, he refused to stop and led troopers on a pursuit through a residential neighborhood. Jackson drove through an apartment complex, where he fled on foot from troopers. After being detained, troopers recovered a firearm, a large bag with several small baggies of cocaine, liquid PCP, marijuana, and a scale.
Jackson has a lengthy criminal history, including eluding officers, drug possession, burglary, felony possession of a firearm, and possession of a stolen vehicle. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced for Attempting to Receive Child Pornography and Unlawfully Being in the United StatesRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Mexican national living in Oklahoma City was sentenced today after being arrested in Owasso for attempting to meet a minor child for sex, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge William P. Johnson sentenced Jose Luis Granados Baltazar, 33, for Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography and Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Granados Baltazar was ordered to serve 60 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Granados Baltazar is expected to face removal proceedings.
In May 2025, Granados Baltazar began Facebook messaging with someone he believed to be a 13-year-old. For several days, Granados Baltazar was communicating with an undercover police officer. Granados Baltazar discussed sexual topics, sent the purported minor child a photograph of his penis, requested a sexually explicit photograph, and wanted to meet for sex. When Granados Baltazar arrived at the agreed-upon location in Owasso, he was detained. While booking Granados Baltazar into jail, law enforcement determined that he had been previously removed from the United States in 2022.
Granados Baltazar will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Owasso Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan E. Michel prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal 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.
Two Illegal Aliens Arrested with More than 100 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Two illegal aliens were arrested and charged with conspiring with a cartel to distribute more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Perfecto Alejandro Lopez, 33, a Guatemalan national, and Christian Bernardo Zamora, 26, a Mexican national, are charged with Drug Conspiracy and Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.
During an investigation, DEA agents obtained two search warrants. One was for a home, and the second was for a vehicle. On March 28, the vehicle was pulled over for a traffic violation. DEA agents notified the law enforcement officer that they had a search warrant authorizing a search of the vehicle. When agents searched the vehicle, they found approximately 105 pounds of methamphetamine.
Shortly after the traffic stop, agents executed the search warrant on the home in east Tulsa. Inside the home, agents recovered a large amount of cash, a loaded firearm, and a digital scale.
Lopez and Bernardo Zamora were both arrested and admitted that they entered the United States illegally.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
Felon Gang Member Sentenced for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A prior felon and gang member was the last of three defendants sentenced today for working with others to distribute methamphetamine around Tulsa, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Kenneth Lee Camp, 44, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty to Drug Conspiracy. U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell ordered Camp to serve 180 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
In 2022, law enforcement began investigating methamphetamine being trafficked over state lines into Tulsa. Law enforcement discovered that Camp is a high-ranking member of the Indian Brotherhood and was conspiring with other gang members, and his co-defendants, Jeremiah Jacob James Harper and Billy Gene Talley, to distribute methamphetamine. When law enforcement served a search warrant on Camp and Harper’s home, they found more than two pounds of methamphetamine, $2,800 in cash, firearms, ammunition, and several cellphones. Agents reviewed the cellphones and found drug-related conversations between the defendants and others.
Court records show that Camp has a lengthy criminal history. While being investigated for this crime, Camp was charged with beating up a pregnant woman and obstructing a police officer. Previously released on bond, Camp was taken into custody following today's sentencing and will remain pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Camp’s co-defendant, Jeremiah Jacob James Harper, 31, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty to Distribution of Methamphetamine and Unlawful Use of Communication Facility. He was sentenced on March 2 and was ordered to serve 60 months imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release. Camp’s second co-defendant, Billy Gene Talley, 44, of Hutchinson, Kansas, pleaded guilty to Drug Conspiracy. He was sentenced on March 16 and was ordered to serve 120 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
The Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris prosecuted the case.
Two Mexican Nationals Sentenced for Unlawfully Being in the United StatesRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Two Mexican nationals were sentenced for Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien after being found more than four times in the United States unlawfully, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Today, U.S. District Judge Raul M. Arias-Marxuach sentenced:
- Jose Alberto Sandoval-Hernandez, 63, to eight months imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release.
- Efrain Munguia-Alverez, 39, to 12 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
In August 2025, Sandoval-Hernandez was arrested for driving under the influence, leaving the scene of a collision involving property damage, and driving without a valid driver's license. Sandoval-Hernandez fled from the scene on foot and was detained by officers. While booking Sandoval-Hernandez into jail, agents discovered that he had been previously removed from the United States in 2015, 2019, and 2022. Court dockets show that Sandoval-Hernandez pleaded guilty to his state court charges and was sentenced to 31 days in jail.
In a separate incident in October 2025, Munguia-Alverez was arrested for a traffic violation and driving without a valid driver's license. While being booked into jail, agents discovered that Munguia-Alverez had been removed twice in 2008, once in 2011, twice in 2016, and once in 2019. Munguia-Alverez was prosecuted by this office in 2019 for Unlawful Reentry. He was sentenced to time served after being held for six months for his 2016 state violation and his 2019 federal violation, and was removed from the United States. State court dockets show that Munguia-Alverez has several aliases and had been previously convicted of several state crimes, including possessing controlled substances, providing law enforcement with a false id, and public intoxication.
Both men will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and are expected to face removal proceedings upon release.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara prosecuted the case.
Tulsan Sentenced for Receiving and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A Tulsa man was sentenced today for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Raul M. Arias-Marxuach sentenced Cameron David Joshua Cox, 26, to 87 months imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Cox will also be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Arias-Marxuach further ordered Cox to pay $3,000 in restitution.
The Tulsa Police Department received three separate cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The social media application, Kik, submitted the tips indicating that child sexual abuse material was uploaded by Cox using multiple accounts. While investigating Cox, officers discovered that he worked at a children’s museum in Tulsa. Officers served a search warrant on Cox’s home while he was present and seized several electronic devices. When Cox spoke with officers, he admitted to using Kik to receive and distribute child sexual abuse material. Further, Cox admitted to viewing child sexual abuse material of newborns up to fourteen years old.
Images and videos recovered by law enforcement were sent to the NCMEC’s Child Victim Identification Program. They identified at least five known victims, and victim impact statements were provided to the court. Restitution paid by Cox will go directly to the victims who requested restitution.
Cox will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Tulsa Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Ihler and Christopher J. Nassar prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal 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.
Former Office Manager Sentenced for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A former office manager was sentenced today for Bank Fraud and stealing more than $700k from her employers, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Raul M Arias-Marxuach sentenced Toni Lee Mesh, 40, of Vinita, to 46 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. She is further ordered to pay $703,938.41 in restitution.
In 2023, Mesh was hired as the office manager and accountant for two privately owned manufacturing businesses in Pryor. She was responsible for the business’s accounting system, processing revenues and expenses, and handling payroll. Mesh admitted to abusing her position of trust to embezzle funds for unauthorized transactions that solely benefited her. Prior to being fired, Mesh embezzled nearly $580k. After Mesh was fired in June 2024, she continued to falsify business checks.
Mesh was hired two months later as an office manager by a business in Broken Arrow. She was employed there for less than 90 days and stole more than $100k from that business.
Court dockets show that Mesh has been convicted in state court for embezzlement, unauthorized use of a credit card, and uttering a forged instrument.
Mesh was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David D. Whipple prosecuted the case.
Pryor Man Sentenced for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
A Pryor man was sentenced today for Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Aaron Douglas Brixey, 27, to 72 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
In February 2025, Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers responded to a multi-car crash. Two motorists rear-ended by a silver car called 911 to report the accident and said the driver who caused the wreck drove from the scene. Moments later, the same silver vehicle rear-ended a third car, causing it to roll, ejecting and killing Matthew Gatewood.
Troopers located the silver car emitting smoke and assisted Brixey from the driver's seat. Court documents show that Brixey smelled of alcohol, was unsteady on his feet, and beer cans were visible in the vehicle. When medical personnel attempted to treat Brixey, he became combative. He was detained by troopers and placed in a patrol unit, where Brixey yelled and banged his head against the window.
A warrant for Brixey’s blood was obtained. His blood alcohol concentration was 0.171, more than twice the legal limit. Toxicology further revealed that THC was also detected in his blood.
Forty-five days prior to causing the death of Matthew Gatewood, Brixey was accused of driving while intoxicated, causing another accident that hurt two people. The charges related to that incident are pending in the Cherokee Nation District Court.
Brixey is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, and he will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Flynn prosecuted the case.
Sapulpa Man Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Sapulpa man was sentenced today for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Damon Terrell Lewis, 48, to 151 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
In June 2025, Tulsa Police officers were dispatched to a domestic disturbance at a local hotel. Upon arrival, officers spoke with Lewis’ girlfriend, who said that Lewis threatened her with a firearm during a domestic dispute. Officers secured the firearm. Lewis admitted they got into an argument and told officers he had several outstanding warrants. Prior to arresting Lewis, officers searched him and found more than 68 grams of methamphetamine and $5,434 in cash. Officers then obtained a search warrant for the hotel room and found digital scales and other items consistent with drug distribution.
Lewis will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Tulsa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Flynn prosecuted the case.
March Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the March Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Quincy Jay Adams. Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling in Indian Country. Adams, 32, of Tulsa and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with assaulting the victim with a firearm, intending to do harm. Additionally, he is charged with using a firearm during a crime of violence and assaulting his intimate dating partner by strangulation. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Dewhurst is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-106
Vismar Erick Atahuichi Alanoca. Advertising to Receive, Exchange, Produce, Display, Distribute, and Reproduce Child Pornography; Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. Alanoca, 38, a Bolivian national, is charged with advertising to exchange child pornography. He is further charged with knowingly receiving and distributing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-088
Venkateswara Chagamreddy*. Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud; Conspiracy to Demand Money and Property While Falsely Impersonating a Federal Officer; and Conspiracy to Obstruct, Delay, and Affect Commerce by Extortion (superseding). Chagamreddy, 27, a citizen of India, is charged with conspiring with others to defraud a Delaware County resident and demanding money or property while impersonating a federal officer. Further, he is charged with knowingly conspiring to obstruct and affect commerce by extortion. Homeland Security Investigations and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Greenough and Augustus Forster are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-441
Abram Lee Hiram Hobbs. False Statements Made to an Agency of the United States. Hobbs, 51, of Burbank, is charged with making false statements about a plot to kill an Assistant United States Attorney. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Osage County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Michel is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-089
Stephen Dale Homer. Production of Child Pornography; International Production of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography; Attempt to Tamper with Records and Proceedings (superseding). Homer, 57, of McAlester and a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is charged with using a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of child sexual abuse material. He also coerced a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct outside of the United States for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the sexually explicit conduct. This visual depiction was then transported to the United States. Homer is additionally charged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. Lastly, Homer attempted to destroy a record with the intent to impair its use in an official proceeding. The FBI Tulsa, the FBI Charlotte, the Federal Air Marshal Service, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Robert and Nathan Michel are prosecuting the case with assistance from the Western District of North Carolina USAO. 25-CR-171
Carlos Javier Diaz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Diaz, 43, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in January and October 2006 and in July 2007. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-099
Matthew Don Kernal. First Degree Murder in Indian Country. Kernal, 34, transient and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with deliberately and maliciously stabbing and killing Robert Shearhart with premeditation and malicious intent. The FBI, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Dunn and Blithe Cravens are prosecuting the case. 26-CR-097
Rogelio Trejo Martinez. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime. Trejo Martinez, 34, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. He is additionally charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm while engaging in drug trafficking. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-090
Noah McClary. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Suffocating in Indian Country; Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate/Dating Partner in Indian Country; Tampering with a Victim by Intimidation and Threats. McClary, 42, of Tulsa and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with assaulting his spouse by strangulation. He is accused of assaulting his spouse, which resulted in bodily injury. Further, McClary is charged with knowingly using intimidation and threats to prevent a witness from testifying in an official proceeding. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blithe Cravens is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-096
Michael Edgar Ray. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Ray, 51, of Valley Center, Kansas, is charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and possessing a firearm while engaging in drug trafficking. Additionally, Ray is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tyson McCoy is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-095
Angel Rivera Escelante. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Rivera Escelante, 31, a Mexican national, is charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute. Homeland Security Investigations and the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case.
26-CR-108Luis Alberto Rodriguez Ruvalcaba.Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Rodriguez Ruvalcava, 30, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in March 2014 and in March 2016. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-109
Artenio Jairro Torres. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Torres, 40, a transient, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender from December 2025 through February 2026. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case.
26-CR-091Raul Vasquez Escarcega; Jose Ramon Rivas Alanis. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition (Counts 1 and 2). Vasquez Escarcega, 46, a Mexican national, and Rivas Alanis, 23, a Mexican national, are separately charged with possessing several firearms and assorted ammunition, knowing they are unlawfully residing in the United States. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan Michel is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-098
Raheem Travon Walker. Escape from Federal Custody. Walker, 23, of Muskogee, is charged with escaping federal custody and knowingly departing the Turley Residential Center without permission. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-094
*Venkateswara Chagamreddy was tried by a federal jury in April 2026. He was found guilty of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud. Chagamreddy was acquitted of Conspiracy to Demand Money and Property While Falsely Impersonating a Federal Officer; and Conspiracy to Obstruct, Delay, and Affect Commerce by Extortion.
Illegal Alien Arrested for Possessing Fentanyl Meant for Distribution in TulsaRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A criminal complaint was unsealed charging an illegal alien with possessing fentanyl with the intention of distributing it after previously being deported.
In January, Juan Lopez Olvera, 25, a Mexican national, was pulled over for a traffic violation in Tulsa. When officers approached the vehicle, they could smell marijuana and asked the driver to step out of the vehicle. Officers searched the vehicle and found a large bag of white powdery substance. A laboratory test determined that the substance was fentanyl. While officers booked Lopez Olvera into jail, they discovered that he was deported in February 2024 and has not lawfully returned to the United States.
The complaint shows that Lopez Olvera is charged with Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute and Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien. Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
Mexican National Indicted for Possessing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Mexican national was arrested and indicted for possessing child sexual abuse material. The indictment shows that Ruben Manuel Barraza Reyes, 26, is charged with Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, Possession of Child Pornography, and Obscene Visual Representations of the Sexual Abuse of Children.
In August 2025, law enforcement identified and arrested an individual in Alaska who was receiving and distributing child sexual abuse material using the messaging application, Telegram. Court documents show that the person arrested was chatting with a user later identified as Baraza Reyes. Within two days, they shared dozens of images and videos that contained child sexual abuse material, including obscene drawings of children being sexually abused. Through search warrants, agents seized devices at Barraza Reyes home and a cellphone he possessed at the time of arrest. While booking Barraza Reyes into jail, agents discovered that he is unlawfully residing in the United States.
The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Dewhurst is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a
court of law.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, 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.
Illegal Alien Indicted for Possessing Firearms and Selling CocaineRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – An El Salvadoran national illegally living in Tulsa was indicted for possessing firearms and ammunition unlawfully and distributing drugs in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Geovanny Alexander Pineda-Cubias, 25, is charged with being an Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes.
Agents began investigating Pineda-Cubias after he made several posts on social media showing that he was selling drugs, possessed firearms, and was selling a firearm and a machine gun conversion device, known as a “Glock switch.” While investigating Pineda-Cubias, agents discovered that he is unlawfully inside the United States, has been removed, and is not legally allowed to possess a firearm.
Pineda-Cubias was the passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over during a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, law enforcement found two firearms, cocaine, and cash in the vehicle. Agents then obtained a search warrant for his home and recovered more than 300 rounds of ammunition, cocaine, and drug distribution paraphernalia.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a
court of law.The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case.
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.
Child Predator Flagged by Kik for Sharing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A child predator living in Tulsa was sentenced today for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Terence C. Kern sentenced Walter Zachary Treat, 31, to 135 months imprisonment, followed by ten years of supervised release. Upon his release, Treat will be required to register as a sex offender and is prohibited from looking at sexually explicit materials, such as pornography. Judge Kern further ordered Treat to pay $3,000 in restitution.
In 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Kik that a user was sharing videos that showed children being sexually abused. Tulsa County deputies began investigating the tip and discovered that Treat was the user. A search warrant was executed at his home, and several electronic devices were seized. While speaking with investigators, Treat admitted to receiving and sharing images and videos of children being sexually abused.
When investigators reviewed Treat’s devices, they found 18 videos and more than 60 images, including prepubescent children being sexually abused. Additionally, investigators saw that Treat was chatting with someone on Facebook about luring children into bathrooms so he could sexually assault them. The images and videos found on his devices were sent to the National Child Victim Identification System, managed by the NCMEC, for identification. Twenty-three individuals were identified and allowed to submit victim impact statements to the court.
Treat was detained in November 2025 and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.
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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal 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.
March Federal Grand Jury 2026-A Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the March Federal Grand Jury 2026-A Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Saul Flores-Sanchez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Flores-Sanchez, 27, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in November 2017 and January 2023. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dill is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-072
Ashley Lineth Godoy Lopez; Angel Gabriel Malvaez Alvarez. Drug Conspiracy. Godoy Lopez, 22, a Honduran national, and Malvaez Alvarez, 21, a Mexican national, are charged with conspiring together and with others to distribute fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-073
Luis Alberto Lopez-Quiroz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Lopez-Quiroz, 45, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May 2010. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dill is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-074
Christopher Joel Velasco. Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country (Counts 1, 3, and 5); Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country (Counts 2, 4, and 6). Velasco, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly engaging in a sexual act with three separate minor children under the age of 12. Additionally, Velasco is charged with knowingly causing sexual contact with three minor children under 12-years-old. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-077
Rodrigo Yepez-Balderas; Ana Fabiola Solis-Padilla. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 2); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise (Counts 3 and 4). Yepez-Balderas, 30, of Tulsa, and Solis-Padilla, 39, a Mexican national, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from August 2025 through February 2026. Solis-Padilla is additionally charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Lastly, both are charged with maintaining residences for drug distribution. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-071
Inmate Sentenced for Running Drug Conspiracy in PrisonRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A man serving time in prison for assaulting a detention officer was sentenced today for knowingly conspiring with others to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
Today, Quinton Andrew Perry, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell after pleading guilty in September for Drug Conspiracy. He was ordered to serve 236 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the indictment, Perry was a “captain” of the Universal Aryan Brotherhood, a known white supremacist prison gang. From mid-2023 through September 2024, Perry used contraband cellphones, encrypted messaging applications and social media to communicate with co-conspirators outside of prison. He coordinated the delivery of kilogram quantities of methamphetamine directly from a transnational criminal organization. Perry relied on his co-conspirators to distribute the methamphetamine and received payment through mobile banking applications.
Court dockets show that Perry’s latest conviction was in 2021 for assaulting a detention officer while serving time for grand larceny, possessing stolen property, and possessing a firearm. His history shows that he was previously convicted of two separate second-degree burglaries.
Perry will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration Dallas Field Office, the North Texas Criminal Interdiction Unit, and Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Interdiction Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar prosecuted the case.
Tulsa Man Sentenced for Admittedly Strangling GirlfriendRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced today after admitting to strangling his girlfriend, announced U.S. Attorney
Clint Johnson.Donny Ray Spencer, 36, was sentenced for Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Suffocating in
Indian Country. U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell ordered Spencer to serve 56 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.In July 2025, Spencer was heavily intoxicated and fell, reopening stitches on his head. A relative called 911 to request medical assistance. Court records show that Spencer became belligerent with medical personnel, and they had to leave until police arrived to assist. When officers arrived, Spencer’s girlfriend met officers on the front porch with their three-year-old. While officers spoke with the girlfriend, Spencer approached officers while yelling and making threats. Officers de-escalated Spencer and continued speaking with the girlfriend. When officers questioned her about the visible bruising on her body, she disclosed that Spencer was very intoxicated, and they argued earlier in the day. During that argument, Spencer strangled her and struck her with a broom in the presence of their child.
Tribal court dockets show that Spencer had a pending arrest warrant after failing to appear for a hearing. He was on
bond after being charged in April with Domestic Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon and Felony Resisting Arrest.
Officers arrested Spencer on his outstanding tribal warrants. While being transported to booking, Spencer admitted to strangling his girlfriend.Spencer is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Flynn prosecuted the case.
Repeat Felon Sentenced for Possessing a Pound of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – An Afton man was sentenced today for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Zackery True Huddleston, 38, to 120 months imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release.
In June 2025, Bixby Police officers responded to a car wreck that involved injuries. Witnesses told responding officers that a man later identified as Huddleston walked away from the wreck. When officers attempted to speak with Huddleston, he took off running and led officers on a foot pursuit through a neighborhood. Officers found Huddleston and detained him. While being booked, Huddleston began crying on the floor and stated, “I don’t want to go back to prison.” The officer asked why he would go back to prison, and Huddleston replied, “the dope.” After searching his vehicle, officers found more than a pound of methamphetamine stashed, along with Huddleston’s driver's license and marijuana card.
Court dockets show that Huddleston pleaded guilty in several State cases for felonies such as manufacturing controlled substances, possessing a stolen vehicle, or second-degree burglary. When he received a suspended sentence, it ended up being revoked due to non-compliance.
Huddleston will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Broken Arrow Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang prosecuted the case.
Felon Previously Convicted of Second-Degree Burglary Sentenced for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced today for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Raymond Thomas McCrary, 51, to 15 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
In 2025, Tulsa Police officers were dispatched to a call where it was reported that a person matching McCrary’s description discharged a firearm. When officers arrived, there were several casings scattered around his house. Officers later executed a search warrant at his home and found a loaded firearm in McCrary’s bedroom. When officers spoke with McCrary, he admitted the firearm was his and that he previously fired the handgun at his house.
Court records show that McCrary was convicted in State court for two counts of second-degree robbery in 2022. He was sentenced to a five-year suspended sentence and prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
McCrary will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Tulsa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury prosecuted the case.
Arizona Man Sentenced for Possessing More than Eight Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A man from Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Olajuwon Hasan Myers, 40, to 120 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
In May 2025, Tulsa Police officers began investigating an individual suspected of transporting narcotics from Arizona to Oklahoma. While conducting surveillance, officers found the vehicle they believe was used to transport narcotics. Myers was seen getting into the vehicle and pulled over during a traffic stop. During the stop, a K9 officer conducted an open-air sniff and made a positive alert to their handler. While searching the vehicle, officers found more than eight pounds of methamphetamine in a hidden compartment.
Myers will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Tulsa Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyson McCoy and Niko Boulieris prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Sentenced for Unlawfully Being in the United States After Being Arrested for Driving DrunkRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Mexican national was sentenced today for Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien, announced U.S. Attorney
Clint Johnson.U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Estevan Barron-Ruiz, 49, to eight months imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release.
In August 2025, Barron-Ruiz was arrested and later convicted in a separate state court case for aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under suspension, and unsafe lane change. While being booked into jail, law enforcement discovered that he was not lawfully inside the United States. Court records show that Barron-Ruiz was previously removed from the United States in November 2014. Law enforcement further verified that Barron-Ruiz has not applied or sought permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security to re-enter the United States.
Court dockets show that Barron-Ruiz previously pleaded guilty in 2013 to another aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol charge in State Court.
Barron-Ruiz will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. He consented to removal from the United States and agreed to cooperate in removal proceedings following his sentence.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced for Receiving and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced today for receiving and distributing thousands of images and videos showing children being sexually abused, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Evan Christopher Lee, 36, for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. Judge Hill ordered Lee to serve 87 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and to pay $24,000 in restitution. Upon his release, Lee will be required to register as a sex offender.
While FBI agents were conducting an undercover operation online in 2024, agents discovered an IP address sharing files that contained child sexual abuse material. After further investigation, agents executed a search warrant at Lee’s apartment and seized several electronic devices. Agents reviewed the devices and found thousands of images of children being sexually abused, as well as thousands of images of computer-generated child sexual abuse material. Court records show that Lee also possessed images and videos of children under the age of 12 and infants being sexually abused.
The child sexual abuse material found by agents was sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Child Victim Identification Program. They identified at least 93 known victims, and victim impact statements were provided to the court. Restitution paid by Lee will go directly to the victims who requested restitution.
While awaiting trial, Lee was released on bond. He was taken into custody after pleading guilty and will remain in custody until transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.
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. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, 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.
February Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the January Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Marco Demon Campbell; Harold Eddie Davis. Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (superseding). Campbell, 43, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. Campbell and Davis, 78, of Tulsa, are charged with maintaining a residence for drug distribution. Additionally, Campbell is charged with possessing firearms while trafficking drugs and knowingly possessing a firearm and ammunition after being convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Mike Flesher are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-403
Genesis Pinacho Catemaxca. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 1 and 3); Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 2); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 4). Catemaxca, 30, of Tulsa, is charged with two counts of knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Further, she is charged with carrying a firearm in October 2025 and possessing one in January 2026, while engaging in drug trafficking. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-054
Jacob Lee Crain. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime; Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Crain, 28, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. He is additionally charged with carrying a firearm while trafficking drugs, and possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Flynn is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-053
Juan Martin Guadalupe Flores-Hernandez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Flores-Hernandez, 37, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in August 2006 and 2014. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Buscemi is prosecuting the case.
26-CR-062Gregory Allen Giffin. Arson in Indian Country. Giffin, 43, transient and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with willfully and maliciously setting fire to an occupied hotel room and endangering the lives of the occupants. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies, with the assistance of the Tulsa Fire Department Fire Marshals. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-064
Amber Renee Long. Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Long, 35, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing she was previously convicted of a felony. The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Kelly is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-063
Steven Roberto Pineda Amaya. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Pineda Amaya, 29, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in August 2019 and February 2020. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-060
Jose Humberto Sandoval Contreras. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Sandoval Contretas, 39, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in December 2024. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-061
Tearrow Sharnel Scott. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Scott, 49, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office and the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-056
Sex Offender Living in Bartlesville Sentenced for Failing to RegisterRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A sex offender living in Bartlesville was sentenced today for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender, announced
U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Wendell Ray Short, Jr., 36, to eight months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Upon his release, Short will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In May 2016, Short pleaded guilty to indecency with a child by contact in Texas. He was sentenced to six years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and ordered to register as a sex offender once released. Court documents show that Short registered in Texas in 2021; however, failed to report in 2023. Sometime in 2024, Short moved in with his girlfriend and
her minor child in Bartlesville and failed to register in Oklahoma.Short will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The U.S. Marshal Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster prosecuted the case.
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, 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.
Indictment Unsealed when Tulsan Arrested for First Degree Felony MurderRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, Jamalo Keon Bruner, Jr., 25, of Tulsa and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, was arrested after being federally indicted for First Degree Felony Murder in Indian Country.
The unsealed indictment alleges that in October 2019, Bruner attempted to rob or burglarize an individual. While doing so,
22-year-old Benjamin Montgomery was killed.Since 2019, the Tulsa Police Department has worked diligently investigating the case. Court records show that two additional
non-Indian defendants are charged in State Court for first-degree felony murder of Mr. Montgomery.Following the McGirt decision and Bruner’s tribal status, the FBI is working with the Tulsa Police Department on the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric O. Johnston and Tyson McCoy are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man Sentenced After DNA Linked Him to Armed Robbery in TulsaRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, Mark Verron Callshim, Jr., 38, of Tulsa, was sentenced for Robbery in Indian Country and Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Callshim, to 184 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. This sentence is ordered to run consecutively to Callshim’s 20-year state sentence for aggravated assault and battery.
In September 2025, a federal jury convicted Callshim in the 2021 armed robbery of a convenience store in Tulsa. Surveillance video shown to the jury shows two men arriving at a convenience store in a blue vehicle. One man, later identified as Callshim, is seen wearing a black hoodie with the word “savage” on the front, a black Cleveland Indians hat, with visible neck and hand tattoos. Callshim and the other suspect are seen entering the store and pointing guns at the cashier. Visibly afraid of being shot, the cashier is seen pulling money out of the register and handing it over. The cashier then called 911, as Callshim is getting back into the driver's side of the blue vehicle and driving off while the other man fires one shot at the building.
Tulsa Police officers responded to the 911 call and set up a perimeter to canvas the area. The surveillance footage allowed officers to share a description of the two men seen in the video and of the blue vehicle. Shortly after the robbery, a citizen reported seeing a man in dark clothing abandoning the blue vehicle roughly a mile from the store. Tulsa Police officers looked up the VIN and found that the blue vehicle had been reported stolen a few days earlier. The detective contacted the victim of the stolen vehicle and explained that officers believed the vehicle was used in a robbery. The owner gave consent for the vehicle to be searched. While searching the vehicle, officers found a partially smoked cigarette, among other things. The items were collected as evidence and submitted for DNA analysis.
An internal tip sheet shared within the Tulsa Police Department led detectives to Callshim. Detectives later linked him to the robbery through his unique tattoos, shoes, and DNA evidence collected from the stolen vehicle. Court records show that Callshim has a lengthy criminal history. He’s been convicted of several crimes, including assault with a dangerous weapon, possessing controlled substances, eluding an officer, and first-degree robbery.
The second suspect in the robbery remains unknown. If you have any information about the second suspect, you can submit a tip to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov/home or by calling 405-290-7770. You can also submit an anonymous tip to Tulsa Crime Stoppers here or by calling 918-596-2677.
Callshim is a citizen of the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Flesher and John Brasher prosecuted the case.
Bolivian National Arrested in Tulsa for Child Sexual Abuse Material; Wanted by INTERPOLRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Bolivian national currently residing in Tulsa and wanted by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) was charged by Criminal Complaint for receiving, distributing, and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Vismar Erick Atahuichi Alanoca, 39, is charged with Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, and Possession of or Access with Intent to View Child Pornography.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline received three reports from Facebook. Court documents show that Facebook reported that photographs consistent with child sexual abuse material were uploaded and shared by a Facebook user. Agents executed a search warrant and discovered that Alanoca possessed child sexual abuse material, including a prepubescent child being sexually abused. It is further alleged that Alanoca messaged with a Facebook user requesting child sexual abuse material.
Court records show that, during the investigation of Alanoca, agents discovered that he is listed as a wanted fugitive by INTERPOL. The risk factors listed show that Alanoca has violent tendencies, is an escape risk, a sexually violent predator, and is cautioned that he is a sex offender, specifically involving minors.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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, 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.
NDOK Collects More than $2.5 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2025Read the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson announced that the Northern District of Oklahoma (NDOK) collected $2,586,678.72 in criminal and civil actions in fiscal year 2025. Of this amount, $1,625,271.97 was collected in criminal actions, and $961,406.75 was collected in civil actions.
The NDOK is not only responsible for litigation. The Asset Recovery and Asset Forfeiture teams are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and crime victims. Under federal law, a District Judge may order a defendant to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes. The department’s Crime Victims Fund collects criminal fines and felony assessments. Those funds are distributed to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, a defendant may be ordered to forfeit assets. The funds from assets are deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund. In fiscal year 2025, the NDOK collected $613,330 in asset forfeiture actions. Those funds are used for a variety of law enforcement purposes and to restore funds to crime victims.
Examples of Asset Recovery...
In November 2024, Devin Darel Fletcher was sentenced for embezzling funds from Tulsa Public Schools, and the Court ordered Fletcher to pay $593,492.32 in restitution. The Northern District successfully garnished $111,511.98 from retirement accounts. The U.S. Secret Service seized an additional $45,710.19 that has been paid towards restitution.
In November 2024, Randal Dewayne Davis was sentenced to child pornography offenses and forfeited $25,000 cash in lieu of real property. The Court ordered Davis pay $44,000 in restitution to nine identified victims of child sexual abuse material. The Northern District successfully garnished $30,976.67 from a retirement account, and the remaining $13,198.33 was collected from forfeited funds.
In October 2011, Elizabeth Ann Stanley was sentenced for Misapplication of Financial Institution Funds. The Court ordered her to pay $118,956.87 in restitution to First National Bank and Trust of Miami. Multiple bank accounts were forfeited, and $48,106.38 was paid towards restitution in 2012. Throughout the years, Stanley paid monthly. The remaining $24,489.52 balance was paid in full once the Northern District began withholding portions of her retirement benefits.
Examples of Asset Forfeiture...
In January 2025, William Shane Garrow pleaded guilty to bank fraud and filing false tax returns. Garrow was a Senior Vice President of Private Banking and lied to clients and colleagues by stealing more than $4.2 million from at least 16 accounts. The court authorized the seizure of $700,092.65 in currency and two real properties valued at $340,417.
In July 2024, Eduardo Agustin Barrera-Lopez pleaded guilty to possessing heroin with the intent to distribute. Barrera-Lopez admitted to financially benefiting from distributing heroin and other narcotics he brought to Tulsa. The court authorized the seizure of $124,236 in currency.
In December 2024, Kevin Gamboa-Olivas pleaded guilty to drug conspiracy. Gamboa-Olivas admitted to conspiring with others to distribute cocaine in Tulsa. The court authorized the seizure of $86,018 currency and a 2023 GMC Denali valued at $60,725.00, repurposed for law enforcement.
Pedophile Sentenced for Receiving and Distributing Hundreds of Photos and Videos of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A pedophile living in Tulsa was sentenced for receiving and distributing hundreds of photos and videos that showed children, toddlers, and infants being sexually abused, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Devin James Woodis, 34, for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. Woodis was ordered to serve 240 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, he will be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Russell further ordered Woodis to pay $18,000 in restitution.
The Tulsa Police Department received a CyberTip from the messaging app, Kik, reporting that Woodis was distributing child pornography. After officers executed a search warrant at his home, they found that Woodis was engaging in sexually explicit conversations with several people, including a person he believed to be a 14-year-old minor child. Officers discovered that he used various messaging apps, including Kik, TeleGuard, and Sessions. After reviewing devices collected during the search warrant, officers found 258 photos and 242 videos of children, toddlers, and infants being sexually exploited and abused.
The child sexual abuse material found on Woodis devices was submitted to the National Child Victim Identification System managed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Sixty children were identified from the submitted photos and images. Several of those victims provided victim impact statements to the court. Restitution paid by Woodis will go directly to the child victims identified.
Woodis will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.
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, 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.
February Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the February Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Andres Avila Pineda; Anthony Avila; Andres Avila, Jr.; Ranferi Manriquez. Firearms Trafficking Conspiracy; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms (superseding). Andres, 48, a Mexican national, Anthony, 22, Andres Jr., 24, and Ranferi, 31, of Houston, Texas, are charged with conspiring with others to transport firearms knowing that possession would constitute a felony. Andres is further charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Dowdell and Kenneth Elmore are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-460
Robin Christopher Black. Conspiracy; Benefits Fraud. Black, 63, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring with others to obtain money from the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) by selling stolen benefits for cash. He is further charged with acquiring and possessing SNAP funds contrary to the Department of Agriculture regulations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General, the Oklahoma Department of Health Services – Office of the Inspector General, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-035
Bryan Abisai Costeira-Hernandez. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Costeria-Hernandez, 38, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. He is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Further, Costeria-Hernandez is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Sep. 2022 Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-036
Willis James Gray. Felon in Possession of Ammunition; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Gray, 41, of Bartlesville and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with possessing ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. He is additionally charged with assaulting the victim with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bartlesville Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-037
Crawford Don Harper, Jr. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Harper, 38, of Indianapolis, Indiana, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Heign is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-038
Romiro Leonardo Hernandez. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Leonardo Hernandez, 33, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Further, he is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after being removed in May 2017, January 2018, and August 2018. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-039
James Robert Hurley, aka James Gomes. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Hurley, also known as James Gomes, 25, of Rose, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender from July to on or about November 2025. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-040
Jose Brian Jimenez Contreras. Possession of a False Immigration Document. Jimenez Contreras, 20, a Mexican national, is charged with knowingly possessing a fake Legal Permanent Resident card. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Briolara is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-044
Arturo Rodriguez Aguero. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Rodriguez Aguero, 49, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in June 2017, February 2018, and August 2018. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-045
John Edgar Williams, IV; Jeremy Mindez Ruff; Savannah D’naisha May Gage; Nevaeh Charise Cox; Trinity Rinique Goudeau; Shavari Shantell Melton; Vanessa Lashay Bell; Ashley Elaine Charles. Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking (Count 1); Transporting an Individual for Prostitution (Counts 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, and 13); Interstate Travel to Aid Racketeering (Count 4); Distribution of Child Pornography (Count 5); Sex Trafficking (Counts 6, 12, and 15); Sex Trafficking a Minor (Counts 8, 11, 14, and 17); Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (Count 16); Commission of Felony Sex Offense Involving a Minor by a Registered Sex Offender (Counts 18 & 19); Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity (Count 20); Child Exploitation Enterprise (Count 21) (third superseding). Williams, 38, Gage, 25, Cox, 39, Goudeau, 24, Melton, 20, Bell, 20, Charles, 37, of Tulsa, and Ruff, 39, of Dallas, Texas, are charged with conspiring with each other to recruit, entice, and harbor a person by threats of force to engage in a commercial sex act for payment. Williams, Gage, Ruff, and Goudeau are charged separately for transporting people to engage in prostitution and other sexual activities. Williams, Ruff, Gage, Cox, Goudeau, Melton, and Charles are further charged with using interstate and foreign commerce to promote and manage a business enterprise involving prostitution. Ruff, Cox, Gage, Goudeau, and Melton are charged with recruiting and enticing minor children, between 14 and 18 years old, to engage in sexually explicit acts. Williams is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. Ruff is charged with committing a felony offense involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender. Additionally, Williams, Gage, and Goudeau are charged with benefiting financially from recruiting, harboring, and providing transportation to an individual to engage in commercial sex acts. Cox is further charged with knowingly distributing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Gage transported a minor child across state lines to engage in sexual activity. Lastly, Gage is charged with engaging in a child exploitation enterprise by working with others, in three or more incidents, to sex traffic more than three victims. The Tulsa Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore, John Brasher, and John W. Dowdell are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-197
Former IT Professional Sentenced for Possessing and Attempting to Possess Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A former IT Professional was sentenced today for possessing and attempting to obtain child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby sentenced Jonathan Tyler Gross, 37, of Mounds, for Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. Gross was ordered to serve 123 months imprisonment, followed by 20 years of supervised release. Upon his release, he will also be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Shelby further ordered Gross to pay $3,000 in restitution and $10,000 fine.
In 2025, Gross worked as an IT professional, and his employer reported to law enforcement that he was fired for having child sexual abuse material on his work computer. The employer told agents they believe Gross was accessing encrypted chat rooms. Agents reviewed the devices provided and found several images and videos of children being sexually abused.
From at least November 2022 through his arrest in April 2025, Gross admitted to viewing and possessing images of children being sexually abused and having a sexual interest in children between the ages of 14 and 17. Some of the images found by agents showed children as young as five to seven years old being sexually exploited, including child erotica. The investigation further revealed that law enforcement received a CyberTip from an email provider that Gross was uploading child sexual abuse material to one of the twelve personal email accounts he had. The child sexual abuse material found was sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Child Victim Identification Program. They helped identify at least one known victim. A victim impact statement was provided to the court. Restitution paid by Gross will go directly to the child victim identified.
After being indicted in April 2025, a victim came forward. At 15-years-old, the minor victim worked for the Gross family as a housecleaner and babysitter. She reported meeting him through church. Court records show that Gross began grooming her in January 2016, messaging her late at night, and that he contacted her through different aliases on Snapchat. After reviewing Gross’s devices, agents discovered Gross created 22 alias Snapchat accounts from January 2016 through January 2019. During Gross’s plea, he admitted to knowingly engaging in Snapchat conversations with the 15-year-old and to persuading the minor victim to send him sexually explicit photos.
Released on bond, Gross was taken into custody after pleading guilty in October. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The $10,000 fine that Gross was ordered to pay goes to the Crime Victims Fund to help provide resources to victims of federal crimes.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.
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, 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.
Nowata Man Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Two Teenage GirlsRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Nowata man was sentenced today after being found guilty by a jury for sexually abusing two teenage girls, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell ordered Kaleb Scott Smith, 34, to serve 228 months imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Smith will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In November 2025, jurors convicted Smith of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country and two counts of Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country. Court records show that Smith sexually abused two teenage girls, who were only
13 and 14 years old.In September 2024, the 14-year-old minor victim disclosed being sexually abused by Smith to a parent. The minor victim’s parents testified that they contacted law enforcement. During that conversation, they showed officers a photo of Smith with their daughter and handed over the cellphone to be searched. The photo presented to the jury showed Smith cuddling with the
14-year-old under a blanket. Smith’s arm is seen wrapped around the child, and his hand rests on her upper thigh.When the minor victim testified, she stayed overnight with Smith’s 14-year-old daughter while Smith was celebrating his birthday in July 2024. The minor victim said that Smith flipped the waistband of her clothing and touched her butt. The next morning, Smith showed the 14-year-old a photo of himself naked in front of a mirror.
Witness testimony from Smith’s teenage daughter and the minor victim described a second incident. They stated that Smith rented a hotel room at a casino with two beds. While in the room, both witnesses described lying on a bed watching social media videos, and Smith lay with them. Both witnesses said that Smith was cuddling with the minor victim under a blanket. The minor victim described that Smith began rubbing his crotch on her back. She moved to the second bed, and Smith followed her. He continued to rub his crotch against her butt.
During a third incident, Smith’s daughter, the minor victim, and their 14-year-old friend stayed the night at his house in September 2024. All three girls testified about the evening. Smith was with the minor victim in his bedroom with the door closed. The friend heard giggling and opened the bedroom door. She saw Smith on top of the minor victim in bed, felt uncomfortable, and closed the door. Later that night, the minor victim testified that Smith asked her to come back to his bedroom. After going back to the bedroom, evidence presented to the jury and trial testimony showed that Smith sexually abused the minor. A few days after the abuse, the minor victim told her friend what happened. A DNA expert confirmed that Smith’s bodily fluids and the minor victim’s DNA were found together on his bed.
When law enforcement interviewed the friend about the incident in September, she further disclosed that Smith had been inappropriate with her on several occasions. When she was 13 years old, Smith would make comments about her body and slap her butt. After turning 14, Smith made comments about her while she was in a towel and touched her breast.
Smith is a member of the Osage Nation and was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshal Service at trial. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Bartlesville Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Hockenbury and Matthew Cyran prosecuted the case.
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, 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.
Felon Sentenced for Possessing Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A man previously convicted of armed robbery was sentenced today for possessing a loaded firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby sentenced Ramsey Nathaniel Hogan, 60, for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Judge Shelby ordered Hogan to serve 60 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
Nine months after being released from federal prison, Hogan was arrested on an outstanding warrant. While he was being searched, United States Marshals found a loaded firearm in his waistband. Court records show that the arrest warrant was issued for failing to comply with the terms of his supervised release.
From 2001 through 2005, Hogan was convicted of four felonies involving a firearm. He pleaded guilty in 2005 to brandishing a firearm while robbing an auto parts store and a video store.
Hogan will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The U.S. Marshal Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Wright and Mike Flesher prosecuted the case.
Felon Mexican National Sentenced for Being Unlawfully in the United StatesRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Mexican national previously removed from the United States three times was sentenced today, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby sentenced Oscar Palacios Castorena, 34, for Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Judge Shelby ordered Palacios Castorena to serve 37 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
Court records show that Palacios Castorena has a lengthy criminal history while in the United States. In 2010, he was convicted of drug conspiracy in the Northern District of Oklahoma and ordered to serve 30 months imprisonment. In 2012, Palacios Castorena was convicted again for drug conspiracy and unlawful reentry in the Western District of Texas. He was ordered to serve 45 months' imprisonment. In July 2025, state court records show that Palacios Castorena pleaded guilty to domestic abuse in the presence of a minor. He was sentenced to a one-year suspended sentence, which was later revoked after being arrested and charged with stealing a vehicle in state court. During the booking process, law enforcement discovered that Palacios Castorena is not lawfully in the United States. Records show that he was removed from the United States in 2011, 2012, and 2015.
Palacios Castorena will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and is expected to face removal proceedings following the sentence.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard prosecuted the case.
Tulsan Sentenced for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced today for Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Scott James Berkshire, 64, to 168 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Berkshire will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In July 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that included sexually
explicit images of two minor children. Agents obtained a search warrant for the account associated with the tip and found that Berkshire was the account holder. Court records show that Berkshire was involved in several chat rooms discussing the sexual abuse of children. In one chat, Berkshire chatted with an undercover agent about meeting to engage in sexual intercourse with a child under 12-years-old.When agents searched Berkshire’s devices, they found photos and videos of children under 12 years old being sexually abused. Berkshire will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Tulsa Police Department, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury prosecuted the case.
This investigation was conducted by the Homeland Security Investigations Tulsa-led Tornado Alley Child Exploitation and Trafficking Task force. This operation is a proactive investigation by local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement within the Northern District and is focused on predators seeking to exploit children.
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, 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.
Mexican National Couple Sentenced for Making and Selling Thousands of Counterfeit IdentificationsRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Mexican national couple sentenced for making and selling thousands of counterfeit identifications to clients throughout the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Karina Garcia-Salazar, 47, for Conspiracy to Transfer Identification Documents and Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Use or Transfer Five or More Documents. Judge Hill ordered Garcia-Salazar to 60 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
Garcia-Salazar’s co-defendant, Jorge Augusto Prieto-Gamboa, 41, was sentenced in December 2025 for Conspiracy to Possess Fire or More Documents with Intent to Transfer. Judge Hill ordered Prieto-Gamboa to serve 15 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
From August 2020 through their arrest in February 2025, Garcia-Salazar and Prieto-Gamboa worked together to create thousands of fake immigration documents. Court records show that the defendants sold the fake documents in several controlled buys orchestrated by agents. During those buys, agents confirmed that Garcia-Salazar and Prieto-Gamboa were working together to sell identification cards and Social Security cards.
A search warrant was served on their home in Tulsa. During that search, agents found at least 67 fake completed documents and seized several electronic devices for further search. After searching their devices, agents found more than 2,000 different identification documents, including Social Security cards, lawful permanent resident cards, state driver’s licenses and ID cards, foreign ID cards, and passports. Screenshot communications found showed conversations with clients that included photos, dates of birth, other information needed to complete the false documents, and photos verifying that the documents were completed. Agents also found client ledgers and images of envelopes mailed across the United States.
Bank records and surveillance obtained by agents show that Garcia-Salazar used a fake Mexican passport to open a local checking account rather than her permanent resident card. Cash deposits made by both defendants and peer-to-peer transactions showed that the couple charged $120 to $150 for fake cards. The fake passport used by Garcia-Salazar and more than $32,000 in cash were also found during the search warrant.
During the investigation, agents confirmed that at least one ID was made and sold to a separate defendant charged in the Northern District of Oklahoma. He admitted to smuggling and trafficking three kilograms of methamphetamine and three kilograms of black tar heroin into the United States.
Court records show that Garcia-Salazar obtained a lawful permanent resident card and that Prieto-Gamboa entered the United States unlawfully in 2002. The couple will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Dallas Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal 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.
Felon Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A man living in Tulsa and previously convicted of raping a teenage girl was sentenced today for failing to register as a sex offender, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Antonio Juan Paredes, 36, to 21 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Upon his release, Paredes will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In 2014, Paredes pled guilty to forcibly raping a 13-year-old in McCurtain County. He was sentenced for first-degree rape and ordered to serve 15 years, with the first 10 years being suspended. In 2015, Paredes was charged in federal court with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. He pleaded guilty in 2016 and was ordered to serve 24 months' imprisonment. Paredes McCurtain County sentence was revoked, and he was ordered to serve two years concurrently with the Eastern District of Oklahoma sentencing.
Paredes was rearrested in 2022 and charged in federal court for failing to comply with the terms of his supervision by quitting his job and moving to Arkansas. He was additionally charged with failing to register as a sex offender and pleaded guilty in both cases. Paredes was ordered to serve 24 months’ imprisonment for both charges.
Court documents show that Paredes was released in March 2024 and failed to report to the U.S. Probation and Parole Offices and that he failed to register as a sex offender, again. He was ordered to serve 12 months’ imprisonment. In August 2025, the marshals found that Paredes had been living in an apartment in Tulsa since his release in 2024. He was charged and arrested in the Northern District of Oklahoma for failing to register as a sex offender.
Paredes will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The U.S. Marshal Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough prosecuted the case.