Northern District of Oklahoma

TULSA, Okla. - The final defendant prosecuted as part of the Northern District of Oklahoma’s case against the United Aryan Brotherhood (UAB) – a violent white supremacist gang – for racketeering and drug trafficking charges, was sentenced today.

Johnny R. Jameson, 41, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison. He is currently serving life without parole for a state conviction.

According to court documents, the UAB operates both inside prisons and outside prison walls and funds itself through drug trafficking to promote white supremacist hatred. The Northern District of Oklahoma targeted the gang’s violent and drug trafficking activities, which led to the conviction of 18 UAB members. The UAB, and Jameson, specifically, murdered a Black Oklahoma of Department of Corrections inmate. Additionally, UAB members engaged in multiple other acts of murder, drug trafficking, and money laundering both inside and outside prison facilities.

“The UAB is a violent gang in Oklahoma prisons. Their crimes bleed into communities beyond the prison walls and include 10’s of millions of dollars in drug trafficking and money laundering, 100,000’s of pounds in methamphetamine distribution, arson, kidnapping, and murder,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “This was an arduous lengthy investigation and I want to thank the many partner agencies that diligently worked to get convictions on all 18 defendants in this indictment.” 

“The financial expertise of IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Special Agents is critical in detecting and tracing the money laundering transactions of criminal organizations,” said Christopher J. Altemus Jr., CI Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Office. “These cases are a direct result of the excellent partnership between law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s office in combating the UAB criminal organization. I am extremely proud of the CI special agents who used their unique financial expertise to help unravel this complex fraud and money laundering scheme involving 18 defendants prosecuted over the last five years. This joint effort demonstrates CI’s resolve to serving our communities by investigating criminal activities negatively impacting citizens of the United States.”

“The success of this joint investigation is clear proof to criminal gangs that they are not beyond the reach of the law,” said Lester R. Hayes Jr., Special Agent in Charge Homeland Security Investigations Dallas. “We will continue pursuing transnational criminal organizations, using every resource and law enforcement partnership available for the sake of justice and public safety."

In many cases, the defendants’ federal sentences will run concurrently to state terms of imprisonment yet to be fulfilled. The additional defendants in the case were sentenced to the following prison terms, or probation where noted:

• Christopher Baldwin, 22 years
• Matthew Abrego, 10 years
• Jeremy Anderson, aka JC, 22 years
• Dustin Baker, 20 years
• Michael Clinton, aka Mikey Clinton, 15 years.
• Eddie Funkhouser, over 12 years.
• Elizabeth Lewis, aka Beth Lewis, over eight years
• Charles McCully, aka Mark McCulley, aka Charles M. McCulley, 15 years
• Dillon Rose, over 17 years
• Randy Seaton, over seven years. 
• Brandy M. Simmons, three years of probation.
• James Taylor, aka JT, 20 years
• Robert W. Zeidler, aka Rob Z, 22 years
• Brandon Zimmerlee, 10 years
• Lisa Lara, three years of probation.
• Sisney Large, over six years
• Richard Young, aka Richard Pearce, five years

U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Chief Jim Lee of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.

The IRS-CI, HSI, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, and state and local law enforcement partners investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis Fries and David Nasar for the Northern District of Oklahoma and Trial Attorney Ken Kaplan of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section prosecuted the case.

The final defendant prosecuted as part of the Northern District of Oklahoma’s case against the United Aryan Brotherhood (UAB) – a violent white supremacist gang – for racketeering and drug trafficking charges, was sentenced today.

Johnny R. Jameson, 41, of Oklahoma City, was sentenced to three years and two months in prison. He is currently serving life without parole for a state conviction.

According to court documents, the UAB operates both inside and outside prisons and funds itself through drug trafficking to promote white supremacist hatred. The Northern District of Oklahoma targeted the gang’s violent and drug trafficking activities, which led to the conviction of 18 UAB members. The UAB, and Jameson specifically, murdered a Black Oklahoma of Department of Corrections inmate. Additionally, UAB members engaged in multiple other acts of murder, drug trafficking, and money laundering both inside and outside prison facilities.

In many cases, the defendants’ federal sentences will run concurrently to state terms of imprisonment yet to be fulfilled. The additional defendants in the case were sentenced to the following terms:

• Christopher Baldwin was sentenced to 22 years in prison.
• Matthew Abrego was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
• Jeremy Anderson, aka JC, was sentenced to 22 years in prison.
• Dustin Baker was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
• Michael Clinton, aka Mikey Clinton, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
• Eddie Funkhouser was sentenced to over 12 years in prison.
• Elizabeth Lewis, aka Beth Lewis, was sentenced to over eight years in prison.
• Charles McCully, aka Mark McCulley, aka Charles M. McCulley, was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
• Dillon Rose was sentenced to over 17 years in prison.
• Randy Seaton was sentenced to over seven years in prison.  
• Brandy M. Simmons was sentenced to three years of probation.
• James Taylor, aka JT, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
• Robert W. Zeidler, aka Rob Z, was sentenced to 22 years in prison.
• Brandon Zimmerlee was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
• Lisa Lara was sentenced to three years of probation.
• Sisney Large was sentenced to over six years in prison.
• Richard Young, aka Richard Pearce, was sentenced to five years in prison.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Chief Jim Lee of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and Special Agent in Charge Lester R. Hayes Jr. of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas made the announcement.

The IRS-CI, HSI, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, and state and local law enforcement partners investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Ken Kaplan of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dennis Fries and David Nasar for the Northern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case.

TULSA, Okla. – A Muscogee Nation citizen from Tulsa was sentenced to 15 years in prison for robbery in Indian Country and kidnapping in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. District Chief Judge John F. Heil III sentenced Andrew Michael Crowels, 27, to 15 years in federal prison followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Heil further ordered Crowels to pay $819.92 in restitution.

“Andrew Crowels and his co-defendant, kidnapped the victim at gunpoint, robbed him, and then drove him to his place of employment and forced him to empty the safe,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Now, thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners, Crowels and his co-defendant have both been sentenced.”  

In his plea on May 11, 2022, Crowels admitted that he, along with others, robbed and kidnapped the victim by force, threatened him with a firearm, and stole items including a car, firearm, phone, debit card, cash, and clothing. Crowels further admitted that they took the victim, at gun point, to several ATMs attempting to get cash from the debit card. When that failed, the victim was taken to a Mazzio’s where he was a manager and forced to get cash out of the safe.

Katie Dawn Bowdler, a co-defendant in this case pleaded guilty to robbery in Indian Country April 1, 2022. She has been sentenced to five years and three months in a federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. She was further ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $819.92.

The Tulsa Police Department and FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Buscemi prosecuted the case.

An Oklahoma man and a Virginia man pleaded guilty, in separate cases, to willfully failing to pay over employment taxes.

According to court documents and statements made in court, Stephen Christopher Parker of Oologah, Oklahoma, and Michael Baines of Portsmouth, Virginia, were co-owners of a mental health counseling services company, Family Youth Intervention Services Inc., located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In that role, Parker and Baines were responsible for withholding, accounting for and paying over the income and Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from the wages paid to the company’s employees. For the second quarter of 2016 they did not file the required quarterly employment tax return or pay over the entirety of those taxes. Parker and Baines further admitted that from January 2014 through December 2017, they did not pay over a total of approximately $1,265,259 in withholdings to the IRS.

Parker and Baines each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison, followed by supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. U.S. Chief District Court Judge John F. Heill III, will determine any sentence after considering U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.

Assistant Chief Andrew Kameros of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Whipple for the Northern District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case.

TULSA, Okla. - A Tulsa man who firebombed a popular donut shop with a Molotov Cocktail pleaded guilty today in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Coby Dale Green, 24, pleaded guilty to malicious use of explosive materials.

In his plea agreement, Green admitted that in the early morning hours of Halloween, 2022, he broke the glass front door, lit the wick of the Molotov Cocktail, and then threw the Molotov Cocktail through the broken front door, into the Donut Hole.

“The Molotov Cocktail that Green threw into the Donut Hole was fueled by bias and had the power to burn down several businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners and the prosecution team for holding the defendant accountable for his actions.”

Green faces between 5 and 20 years in federal prison, and a fine of not more than $250,000, or both. A federal district court judge will determine sentencing after considering sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A date for sentencing has not been set.

Green has been and will remain in the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is the investigating agency with assistance from Tulsa Police and Fire Departments.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel and Christopher J. Nassar are prosecuting the case.

TULSA, Okla. –A Tulsa man who threatened to “murder people” at the Ernest Childers Outpatient Clinic (VA) in Tulsa pleaded guilty today in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Zachariah Kade McGuire, 32, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in a federal facility.

“McGuire threatened to kill staff at a federal facility and arrived prepared to execute that threat,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I want to thank the staff and officers at the Ernest Childers Outpatient Clinic in Tulsa for their quick actions that averted a tragedy and provided the evidence to prosecute this case.”  

In his plea, McGuire admitted that he called the VA in Tulsa, and threatened to murder people if he was not timely prescribed medications. McGuire further admitted that within an hour of making that call, he entered the Tulsa VA with a loaded .357 revolver.

According to court documents, on Nov. 14, 2022, the defendant’s mother called to schedule an appointment for him at the clinic, which was set for Dec. 13, 2022.

Shortly after, McGuire called back and left a threatening voicemail message, which was reported to the Veterans Affairs Police.

After McGuire arrived at the Tulsa VA, officers made contact with him and asked if he had a weapon. He responded yes, and officers retrieved a .357 magnum revolver from McGuire’s front pocket. The firearm was loaded with six rounds of ammunition. Officers also recovered seven plastic zip ties from McGuire.

McGuire faces up to 5 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not been set.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs Police, Tulsa Police Department, and FBI are the investigative agencies.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert T. Raley and David D. Whipple are prosecuting the case.

TULSA, Okla. – United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the August 2023 Federal Grand Jury A.

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.

Andrew Michael Sneed. Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor. Andrew Michael Sneed, 27, is charged with aggravated sexual abuse of a minor after he allegedly traveled from Topeka, Kansas, to Catoosa, to engage in sex with an 11-year-old female. Catoosa Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-258

Dennis Ray Thompson. Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force in Indian Country; Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Threat in Indian Country; Failure to Register as a Sex Offender; and Commission of a Crime of Violence While Failing to Register as a Sex Offender. Dennis Ray Thompson, 64, a Choctaw Nation citizen, is charged with aggravated sexual abuse by force in Indian Country; aggravated sexual abuse by threat in Indian Country; failure to register as a sex offender; and commission of a crime of violence while failing to register as a sex offender after officers with the Tulsa Police Department caught him naked on top of the victim under a bridge in downtown Tulsa. Tulsa Police Department and FBI are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Briden is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-236

Dakota Dale Deckard. First Degree Burglary in Indian Country; Aggravated Identity Theft; Second Degree Burglary in Indian Country; Receipt of Stolen Property in Indian Country. Dakota Dale Deckard, 24, an Absentee-Shawnee citizen, is charged with first degree burglary in Indian Country; aggravated identity theft; four counts of second-degree burglary in Indian Country; and receipt of stolen property in Indian Country. Deckard allegedly broke into multiple locations, including a church, and stole property; was found in possession of a vehicle he knew to be stolen; and knowingly used identification and a debit card of another without their permission.  The Sapulpa Police Department and FBI are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Buscemi and Michael Harder are prosecuting the case. 23-CR-254

Terrall Lamar Johnson. Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Terrall Lamar Johnson, 32, is charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute after allegedly being found in possession of 5 kilograms of cocaine. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Drug Enforcement Administration are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-257

Juventino Hernandez-Flores. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Juventino Hernandez-Flores, 32, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after being arrested by the Tulsa Police Department on July 10, 2023, for Assault with a Deadly Weapon-Domestic, and Domestic A&B in the Presence of a Minor. He had been previously removed to Mexico on July 25, 2016, at San Ysidro, California, and was removed again to Mexico on August 02, 2022, at Laredo Columbia Bridge, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl Baber is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-255

Miguel Betancourt-Baltazar. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Miguel Betancourt-Baltazar, 53, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after being arrested by the Tulsa Police Department on unrelated charges. He had been previously removed on or about May 4, 2018, at or near Nogales, Arizona U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl Baber is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-253

TULSA – The Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) will host the 18th Annual Government-to-Government Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation, August 8-10, 2023, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Tribal government leaders will provide recommendations on administering tribal funds and programs; enhancing the safety of American Indian and Alaska Native women from domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, homicide, stalking and sex trafficking, along with strengthening the federal response to these crimes; and improving access to local, regional, state, and federal crime information databases and criminal justice information systems.

The consultation is required by law to address the federal administration of tribal funds and programs established under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) and its subsequent reauthorizations.

Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta and other Department of Justice officials will be in attendance.

WHO: U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, Office of Justice Programs, and Office of Tribal Justice

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families and the Indian Health Service

U.S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services

WHEN:  All times provided in local Central time:

August 8, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

August 9, 8:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.

August 10, 8:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.

WHERE:   River Spirit Resort, 8330 Riverside Parkway, Tulsa, OK 74137

Join virtually: https://www.ovwconsultation.org/Attend/Register

CONTACT: Media with any question regarding the consultation should reach out to Connie Palmer-Dodson at Connie.Palmer-Dodson@usdoj.gov.  918-382-2755

Members of the press who wish to attend consultation must register and will need to check in at the hotel registration desk upon arrival to obtain credentials, which must be worn and displayed at all times throughout the event. For more information and to register as press, visit:  https://www.ovwconsultation.org/Attend/Register
 

NOTES:

OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo; OVW Tribal Affairs Deputy Director Sherriann Moore; and U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma are available for interviews. Please contact Connie Palmer-Dodson for more information. 

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, Aug. 8, Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta will deliver opening remarks at the Justice Department’s 8th Annual Government-to-Government Violence Against Women Tribal Consultation in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The Associate Attorney General’s trip to Tulsa, the second in a series of government-to-government meetings with Tribal leadership, includes a visit with leaders and members of the Muscogee Creek Nation and follows her visit earlier this summer to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe in Minnesota. This trip is part of the Justice Department’s continued efforts to strengthen ties to Indian Country, elevate the voices and concerns of American Indians and Alaska Natives and reinforce the Department’s commitment to bolstering support for Tribal governments by investing additional resources to tackle uniquely Tribal issues.

At the consultation, which runs from Aug. 8 – Aug. 10, Tribal government leaders will provide recommendations on administering tribal funds and programs; enhancing the safety of American Indian and Alaska Native women from domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, homicide, stalking and sex trafficking, along with strengthening the federal response to these crimes; and improving access to local, regional, state and federal crime information databases and criminal justice information systems.

The consultation is required by law to address the federal administration of Tribal funds and programs established under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA) and its subsequent reauthorizations. In addition to the Associate Attorney General, Director Rosie Hidalgo of the Office on Violence Against Women, Director Tracy Toulou of the Office of Tribal Justice and U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Wilson for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Clinton Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma and Bob Troester for the Western District of Oklahoma, among other Justice Department leaders, will attend the consultation and give remarks.

WHEN: 8:30 a.m. CT / 9:30 a.m. ET

WHERE: 

River Spirit Resort

8330 Riverside Parkway, Tulsa, OK 74137

OPEN PRESS

Reporters with questions for Office of the Associate Attorney General should contact Terrence.Clark@usdoj.gov.

Members of the press who wish to attend the consultation must register and will need to check in at the hotel registration desk upon arrival to obtain credentials, which must be worn and displayed at all times throughout the event. For more information and to register as press, visit: www.ovwconsultation.org/Attend/Register.

Question regarding the consultation and logistics should be directed to Connie.Palmer-Dodson@usdoj.gov.

TULSA Okla. – A Wichita, Kansas, man was convicted on nine criminal charges for conducting a sex trafficking operation that spanned four states.

A federal jury deliberated approximately 2 hours before convicting Byron Cordell Thomas, 36, for sex trafficking; transporting an individual for prostitution; witness tampering by corrupt persuasion; and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

“The victims in this case were beaten, isolated, and trafficked across state lines for prostitution. They suffered threats and intimidation from Thomas, even throughout the investigation, said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their lengthy and solid investigation of this case, and the victims for their brave testimony that made this conviction possible.”

“Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to ensure human traffickers face justice for their heinous crimes,” said Robert Melton, Assistant Special Agent in Charge HSI Dallas’ Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle Division. “This verdict is proof of our commitment to protect victims from further harm.”

Thomas targeted young females suffering financial difficulties who had little to no support. He advertised himself as a “street advisor” and promised to help women make money as part of his team, or “stable,” but kept the money for himself. Thomas would isolate women, transport them under false pretenses to another state, and refuse to provide return transportation until the women earned a set amount of money through prostitution.

Thomas, who carried a gun, was physically violent with some of the women but primarily achieved control by force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion, including varying degrees of emotional, physiological, and financial control.

Thomas maintained hotel rooms in Tulsa; Oklahoma City; Dallas, Texas; Bossier City, Louisana; and Wichita, Kansas, for harboring the victims and conducting his trafficking and prostitution operation. One victim told officers that Thomas and another victim picked her up in Topeka, Kansas and drove her to Tulsa where she was forced into prostitution and not allowed to leave.

Thomas used and taught the victims to use cell phones and social media to promote themselves, communicate with clients, and conduct business. Investigators located messages and pictures used in various online prostitution ads over several states.

Further, Thomas used deception and took steps to insulate himself  in an attempt to conceal the prostitution from law enforcement and avoid prosecution. He would make his main prostitute, referred to as a “bottom,” train new prostitutes on how to act with clients, screen for law enforcement, and make money. He pressured women to get tattoos, referred to as “branding,” with his street name of “B$.” One of his “bottoms had the tattoo on her neck.

He would also instruct the women engaged in prostitution to give false information to law enforcement. Later he intimidated and threatened the victims to influence, delay, and prevent testimony in criminal proceedings. Thomas and others he recruited have harassed victims and pressured them to change their statements.

Homeland Security Investigations, Tulsa Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from Kansas and Texas law enforcement agencies conducted the investigation.

Thomas faces up to 35 years in federal prison.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore and Shakema Onias prosecuted the case.

To report suspected human trafficking to Federal law enforcement call 1-866-347-2423.

TULSA, Okla. - A homeless man from Tulsa was sentenced Tuesday, Aug. 1 to 18 years in federal prison for second degree murder in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Terry Danell Limose, 38, to 18 years in the United States Bureau of Prisons for second degree murder in Indian Country, followed by 5 years of supervised release.

“The victim in this case was stalked, brutally assaulted and strangled to death,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Crimes occurring within the homeless community often have additional investigative challenges. I want to thank our law enforcement partners for their diligent work on this case.”

According to court documents, on Nov. 13, 2021, Limose, stalked and chased the victim, a Muscogee Nation citizen, who was also homeless. While following the victim, Limose threw rocks and chunks of pavement striking the victim. Later Limose started a physical altercation, forced the victim to the ground, and then beat and strangled him to death.

Limose has been and will remain in custody of the United States Marshal pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

The Tulsa Police Department and FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly prosecuted the case.

TULSA Okla. – A Catoosa man, responsible for physically abusing his 3-month-old son was sentenced today in Federal Court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Jacob Thomas Shell, 29, to 300 months in federal prison, for child abuse in Indian Country, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Judge Frizzell further ordered Shell to pay more than $6,000 in restitution.

“Jacob Shell forever changed the daily life and future of his three-month old baby,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.  “Child abuse is never acceptable, and with the support of our local law enforcement partners will be aggressively prosecuted. This case should serve as a reminder that parents who feel overwhelmed should seek help.”

According to court documents, On February 12, 2020, Shell, became frustrated after being awakened by the crying of his 3-month-old son. He violently and forcibly shook and threw the child until he stopped crying and was limp. The victim, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, sustained lifelong injuries and is now physically, developmentally, and cognitively delayed. The child suffered severe visual impairment, forcing him to attend the school for the blind. The child also sustained severe nerve damage, which impacted the child’s physical mobility and use of his right arm. The victim is still undergoing treatment and was in the hospital for a neurosurgical procedure the day Shell was sentenced.

The adoptive parents victim impact statement stated, “Already, by the age of three, our son has spent more time fighting for his life than most people ever will.” They also noted his twin brother is taking on the role of an older brother. Instead of having a same age playmate, he helps and cares for his twin.

The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office and FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler prosecuted the case.

TULSA Okla. – A Sand Springs man was sentenced July 27 to more than 35 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a child and one count of abusive sexual contact in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Jeremy Nicholas Botonis, 45, was convicted on Friday, May 6, 2022, by a federal jury following two hours of deliberation.

U.S. District Judge Stephen Murphy has now sentenced Botonis, to 35 years and four months for coercion and enticement of a child and 24 months for abusive sexual contact in Indian Country. Sentences are to run concurrently followed by 7 years of supervised release.

“Devious individuals like Botonis use social media to gain access, groom their victims and violate their trust,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The victim in this case displayed incredible strength as he testified and is to be commended along with our law enforcement partners and federal prosecutors Chris Nassar and Stephanie Ihler for ensuring Botonis was held accountable for his predatory crimes.”

“The appalling conduct perpetrated by this defendant towards a minor is not only criminal, but inexcusable,” said Robert Melton, HSI Dallas Assistant Special Agent in Charge Oklahoma and Texas Panhandle Division. “We hope that his lengthy prison sentence serves as a reminder to predators everywhere that HSI and our law enforcement partners will never relent in prosecuting those who choose to exploit children.”

On Aug. 24, 2019, while in the woods, Botonis placed his hand inappropriately on the clothed minor victim’s thigh and what the victim described as his “private area.” He then attempted to kiss the victim. When the child rejected his advances and pulled away, Botonis became upset and concerned the child might reveal what had occurred to his parents. He demanded the victim delete prior messages between the two.

After the incident, Botonis continued to communicate with the victim using a Facebook page titled “Wolf Page.” Eventually, the victim’s father discovered the sexually explicit messages and the victim disclosed to his father the page belonged to Botonis and that Botonis had attempted to kiss him in the woods during an outing. The child’s parents reported the crime to authorities. During the investigation, the child further disclosed to law enforcement that Botonis had also touched him inappropriately the day of the incident.

Federal agents were able to extract messages from the victim’s cell phone including 5,000 messages where the defendant talked about the child’s looks, professed his “love” for the victim, made sexual innuendos, described sex acts. Botonis further suggested the two should engage in the “furry lifestyle,” which for some is a sexual fetish that involves dressing in animal costumes and performing sex acts. At one point, the victim indicated to the defendant that he was uncomfortable and did not want to receive any further sexual messages.

At trial, federal prosecutors contended that at the time of the crime, Botonis was a 41-year-old man obsessed with a vulnerable 13-year-old child, bombarding the victim with messages nearly every day and even guilt tripping the victim when he did not respond in kind. Prosecutors argued that while Botonis tried to portray himself as non-threatening and trustworthy, he was a predator hiding in the shadows, waiting for a vulnerable victim and the right moment to engage.

The case was initially charged in Mayes County District Court but was dismissed in April 2021 due to lack of jurisdiction based on the Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v Oklahoma. The victim is a Cherokee citizen. The U.S. Attorney’s Office then charged the case in federal court in May 2021.

Botonis has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Nassar and Stephanie Ihler 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

TULSA, Okla. – United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the July 2023 Federal Grand Jury B.

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.

Kelsey Dawn Lipp. First Degree Murder in Indian Country; Robbery in Indian Country; and Kidnapping in Indian Country. Kelsey Dawn Lipp, 28, is a Cherokee citizen, and is charged for allegedly arranging a robbery and kidnapping that resulted in the victim’s death. Tulsa Police Department and the FBI are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David A. Nasar and Niko Boulieris are prosecuting the case. 23-CR-243

Jared Kyle Childers.  Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Kidnapping in Indian Country; and Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Jared Kyle Childers, 20, a Cherokee citizen of Salina, is charged after allegedly brandishing a weapon while assaulting and kidnapping the victim with intent to do bodily harm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is the investigating agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema Onias is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-245

Leo Steban Chumwalooky. Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country; and Incest in Indian Country. Leo Steban Chumwalooky, 20, and a Cherokee citizen is charged after he allegedly engaged in and attempted to engage in sexual acts with a child between 12 and 16 years of age. Cherokee Nation Marshal Service and the FBI are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-246

Lee Finch Jr. Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. Lee Finch Jr. is charged with travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct in a superseding indictment. A previous indictment on April 18, charged Finch with coercion and enticement of a minor. The Tulsa Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-148

Hayden Barclay Greene.  Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country; and Child Neglect in Indian Country. Hayden Barclay Greene, 45, is a member of the Choctaw Nation. Greene allegedly assaulted and strangled his intimate partner resulting in serious bodily harm in the presence of a minor. The Creek County Sheriff’s Office, Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police, and the FBI are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Todd is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-247

Zulma Martinez. Possession of Methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Zulma Martinez, 46, a Mexican national is charged for allegedly possessing meth with the intent to distribute. The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-248

Rolland James Miles. Carjacking. Rolland James Miles, 20, a Muscogee Creek Nation citizen is charged with carjacking after allegedly attempting to take a motor vehicle by force, violence, intimidation, and with intent to cause death and serious bodily harm. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is the investigating agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matt Cyran and Dennis Fries are prosecuting the case. 23-CR-249

Jose Becerra-Ruiz. Distribution of Meth. Jose Becerra-Ruiz, 30, of Claremore, is charged for allegedly distributing meth. The Drug Enforcement Administration is the investigating agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-244

TULSA Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for multiple crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

A federal jury convicted Elga Eugene Harper, 41, a Choctaw Nation citizen on Feb. 9, for kidnapping in Indian Country; aggravated sexual abuse by force and threat in Indian Country; assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country; and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in Indian Country.

U.S. District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III, who presided over the trial and sentencing, noted that the case was easily the most serious he had seen. He sentenced Harper to a total of life in prison on July 27. 

“Elga Harper violently beat and sexually assaulted an elderly woman in her home for four hours,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The victim bravely faced her attacker and testified; and through her perseverance, strength and courage, justice was served in this case.”

“The victim in this case bravely took the witness stand to recount the tremendous suffering she endured at the hands of Elga Harper,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “If not for her compelling testimony, Harper may not have received the two life sentences he indisputably deserves. The citizens of Oklahoma can rest assured he will never again be able to harm an innocent person.”

Harper had previously performed work at the victim’s home, and the two had numerous conversations about philosophy and her work in counseling. The woman eventually paid Harper in full and told him she no longer needed his assistance.

On May 4, 2022, several months after their last meeting, Harper returned unexpectedly to the victim’s home. After a brief conversation, he asked to use the bathroom. When Harper did not exit the bathroom, the victim walked toward the back of the home and found Harper standing naked in her room. Harper immediately attacked her.

During the next four hours, Harper violently assaulted the victim both physically and sexually. She pleaded for him to call 911, but he refused. He also ransacked her home, took her car keys, and told her to “shut up” when she prayed aloud. She called 911 as soon as he fled, reporting the assault and that Harper was responsible.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found the victim gravely injured, with extensive injuries to her face, head, neck, arms, hands, and legs.

Harper was located and taken into custody on May 10, 2022.

The FBI and Tulsa Police Department Special Victims Unit conducted the investigation with extensive support from other units in the Tulsa Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chantelle D. Dial and Melody N. Nelson prosecuted the case.

TULSA Okla. – A Broken Arrow man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor in Indian Country, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Christopher Dean Dana, 37, pleaded guilty Monday, October 18, 2021.

U.S. Chief District Judge John F Heil III has now ordered Dana to serve 30 years in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard from the victim who explained how she has trouble sleeping at night because that is when it all hits her. “I’m scared of what everyone is going to think of me,” she said, and “I’m scared to hang out with guy friends because I don’t know what they’re capable of.”

“Christopher Dana betrayed the trust of this young victim and has caused lasting emotional harm,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “My office and our law enforcement partners will diligently prosecute those that prey upon the children in our communities.”

At the time of his plea, Dana, a non-Indian, admitted that when the victim was between seven and 12 years of age, he encouraged her to engage in sexual activity and sexually abused her. When she resisted his advances, Dana would pressure the victim by offering her money.

The victim is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, and the crimes occurred within the boundaries of the Muscogee Nation reservation.

Dana has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility.

The Broken Arrow Police Department and FBI investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey Todd and Gina Gilmore prosecuted the case.

A former private prisoner transport officer was sentenced in the Northern District of Oklahoma to 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for violating a male pretrial detainee’s civil rights by sexually assaulting him.

According to the plea agreement, at the time of the offense, Dewayne Lewis Dudley, 56, worked as a private prisoner transport officer for Blue Raven Services. As a private prisoner transport officer, Dudley performed the government function of picking up individuals who were arrested on out-of-state warrants and transporting those individuals back to the jurisdictions that issued the warrants. On Aug. 26, 2021, Dudley picked up the victim, a male pretrial detainee, from a jail in Booneville, Indiana, to transport him to a jail in Los Lunas, New Mexico.

On Aug. 27, 2021, before arriving in New Mexico, Dudley stopped the transport vehicle at a Holiday Inn Express, located in Marshfield, Missouri, where he rented a room. Dudley brought the handcuffed victim into the hotel room and told him to shower. After the victim showered, Dudley pointed a gun at the victim and told him to undress. Dudley then proceeded to grope the victim’s genitals. When the victim’s penis did not become erect, Dudley handcuffed himself to the victim, before going to sleep. Several hours later, Dudley resumed transporting the victim, before stopping the transport van at Dudley’s apartment, located in Claremore, Oklahoma. Against the victim’s protests, Dudley brought the handcuffed victim inside his apartment. While inside his apartment, Dudley again groped the victim’s genitals, causing the victim bodily injury. The victim said, “No!” and was able to break free and run outside of Dudley’s apartment. As part of the plea agreement, Dudley admitted that the victim did not consent to any of the sexual conduct, that there was no legitimate law enforcement purpose for it and that the sexual misconduct resulted in bodily injury to victim and included kidnapping.

“The defendant kidnapped and sexually assaulted a man entrusted to his care and custody, exploiting his authority and depriving this victim of his constitutional right to bodily integrity,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This sentence sends a clear message that the Justice Department is committed to protecting victims of sexual violence carried out at the hands of law enforcement officials. The privatization of positions in law enforcement does not affect our determination to hold these individuals accountable when they violate our federal civil rights laws.”

“Dudley had a legal obligation to provide safe transport to the prisoner in his custody instead he violated him and his rights,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “Our office is committed to protecting the judicial process and that includes protecting the rights of the accused.”

“The American public has an absolute right to trust that law enforcement officials will protect them, regardless of their class, status or creed. Dewayne Dudley violated that trust when he kidnapped and sexually assaulted a detainee in his care,” said Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray of the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. “Safeguarding the civil rights that every American is entitled to is fundamental to the FBI’s mission. We will continue to work tirelessly alongside our law enforcement partners to ensure predators like Dudley are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office investigated this case.

Trial Attorney Laura Gilson of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Clay Compton for the Northern District of Oklahoma prosecuted this case.

TULSA Okla. – A federal jury convicted James William Buzzard, 50, a Cherokee citizen and Delaware county resident of first-degree murder in Indian Country; assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm; and discharge of a firearm during the commission of a federal crime of violence. The crime occurred within the Cherokee Nation reservation.

“Today the jury convicted the last of three defendants for a brutal murder in rural Indian Country,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “This case follows a prolonged and meticulous investigation by our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners. Violent crime within the Northern District of Oklahoma will be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice.” 

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Aug. 1, 2019, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office responded to a shooting near Jay, Okla. Deputies discovered Jerry Tapp deceased in his front yard. It appeared that Tapp sustained multiple gunshot wounds and that a second victim had a gunshot wound to her arm. According to court testimony, the surviving victim told investigators that she heard a noise outside the home early that morning. When she turned on the light and opened the door, she heard gunfire and felt a sudden pain in her wrist. The victim noticed a four-door car before she shut and locked the front door, crawled to another room, and called 911. While investigating the crime, OSBI agents located and seized multiple shell casings.

Dakota Buzzard, son of James Buzzard, was located by deputies from the McDonald County Sheriff’s Office driving a white 4-door Altima matching the surviving victim’s description. OSBI agents later found four spent shell casings inside the vehicle. Dakota provided the location of the rifle used, as well as additional bullets. During the investigation, the shell casings found at the scene of the crime were identified as having been fired by the same rifle.

On Aug. 6, 2019, investigators obtained Facebook records of Cody Buzzard, another son of James Buzzard. The day prior to the shooting, Cody made Facebook inquiries about getting a vehicle and firearm. He indicated that he “had business to tend to,” and he was going to “take care of a problem.”

During an interview with authorities, Dakota Buzzard stated that he, Cody, and James Buzzard drove toward Tapp’s residence, parked up the road from the home, and waited for him to return from work. James Buzzard allegedly told his sons to retrieve the rifle from the trunk of the car. Dakota stated that once Tapp drove by they followed him to his home where Tapp was shot and killed. Prosecutors proved the Buzzards aided and abetted one another to shoot and kill Tapp and then shoot his girlfriend.

The two brothers in this case, both Cherokee citizens from Grove, entered earlier pleas. Cody Dwayne Buzzard, 29, pled guilty to second degree murder in Indian Country; and brandishing and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Dakota Chase Buzzard, 22, pled to conspiracy to carry, use, brandish, and discharge a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

The FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Reagan Reininger, Eric Johnston, and Elizabeth Dick prosecuted the case.

TULSA, Okla. – Sunday Daniel Ganyo, 37, a Nigerian national, made his initial appearance in federal court Friday, after being extradited from South Africa pursuant to a 2020 federal criminal complaint alleging his involvement in a cyber fraud scheme targeting companies in Tulsa and North Carolina. Ganyo faces charges for conspiracy; transportation of stolen goods; means of identification fraud; trafficking in false means of identification; identity theft conspiracy and attempt; aggravated identity theft; mail fraud; wire fraud; and attempt and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud.

“Identity theft and computer fraud have a lasting impact on the financial health of the victims and society,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “We are committed to bringing cyber criminals that target Oklahoma companies to justice, even when they hide behind stolen identities across the world and operate in the shadows of cyberspace.”

“The FBI has a long tradition of protecting American companies from these types of schemes and bringing those responsible to justice, no matter where they are located,” said FBI, Oklahoma City, Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray. “I’m grateful for the dedicated partnership of the South African authorities to find and arrest Mr. Ganyo, so that he may face charges here in Oklahoma.”

According to court documents, Ganyo is alleged to have sent a computer services company in Tulsa a spoofed email using a fraudulently acquired identity and arranged for the purchase of approximately $400,000 worth of Microsoft Surface Pro Tablets. The fraudulent email was successful, and an order was processed and shipped to a company in Raleigh, North Carolina. Ganyo is alleged to have sent a second spoofed email to the North Carolina company, impersonating the Tulsa company, claiming the order was in error and that someone would retrieve the shipment. The shipment was then retrieved from the North Carolina company, repackaged, and prepared for shipment to South Africa by an unknown coconspirator. However, the FBI was able to intercept the shipment in Memphis, Tennessee, and replace the contents with dummy goods and a tracking device. A controlled delivery was then executed in Johannesburg, South Africa and the defendant was arrested by partners with the South African Police Service. Investigation continues into Ganyo’s possible involvement in similar cyber fraud schemes in other parts of the country.

The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in South Africa to secure the arrest and extradition of Ganyo. The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar and Thomas Buscemi are prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Members of the public are reminded to be extremely cautious while conducting business on the internet. Check sender emails and URL addresses for irregularities. Use a full-service internet security site that protects your information. Use strong passwords by incorporating at least 10 letters, numbers, and symbols. Keep your software updated because criminals exploit known software flaws. Manage your social media settings and be careful what you share. For instance, if you share your pets name or reveal where you and your spouse met, you might expose the answers to two common security questions. Secure your home network and public networks by using a virtual private network (VPN). Finally, don’t provide personal information to unsolicited individuals or messages. Most business won’t reach out and ask for personal information by phone or email. If they do, tell them you will call them back. Then call the main number to inquire about the request. If you believe you have been a victim of fraud report it to your local police.

TULSA, Okla. – United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the June 2023 Federal Grand Jury A.

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.

Jeffrey Wade Anderson Jr. First Degree Murder in Indian Country. Jeffrey Wade Anderson Jr., 34, is charged with murder after he turned himself in for allegedly stabbing the victim, on or about June 27, 2023, in the 4100 block of Riverside Dr. The Tulsa Police Department and FBI are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-224

Byron Cordell Thomas. Sex Trafficking by Force, Fraud, and Coercion; Transporting an Individual for Prostitution; Coercion and Enticement to Engage in Prostitution; Tampering by Corrupt Persuasion; and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Byron Cordell Thomas, 36, is charged with four counts of transporting an individual for prostitution and three counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. He is further charged with two counts each of coercion and enticement to engage in prostitution, and tampering by corrupt persuasion, with an additional charge for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Thomas allegedly engaged in activities to recruit, entice, control and transport women for the purpose of prostitution for his financial benefit. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigating Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-041

Cesar David Lopez; Juan Antonio Duran; Jose Nicolas Flores. Firearms Trafficking; False Statement to a Firearms Dealer; Straw Purchasing a Firearm; Smuggling Firearms from the United States; and Smuggling Goods from the United States. Cesar David Lopez, 27, Juan Antonio Duran, 27, and Jose Nicolas Flores, 30, are charged with firearms trafficking, making a false statement to a firearms dealer, straw purchasing a firearm, smuggling firearms from the United States and smuggling goods from the United States for allegedly purchasing and trafficking multiple .50 caliber rifles and rifle magazines for the Sinaloa Cartel. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is the investigating agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Brasher and Kenneth Elmore are prosecuting the case. 23-CR-196

Jacob Alan Gonzales. First Degree Burglary in Indian Country. Jacob Alan Gonzales, 26, a Cherokee citizen, is charged with first degree burglary in Indian Country after allegedly breaking and entering through a window of an occupied dwelling. The Tulsa Police Department and the FBI are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi is prosecuting the case.  23-CR-227

Torrance Lamont Williams. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of an Unregistered Rifle Having a Barrel of Less Than 16 Inches in Length. Torrance Lamont Williams, 29, is charged as a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of an unregistered rifle. A search warrant executed at the residence of Williams revealed a multi-caliber short-barrel rifle, ammunition and two loaded magazines. The Tulsa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-230

Efrain Dominguez-Romero. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm; Fraud and Misuse of Visas, Permits, and Other Documents. Efrain Dominguez-Romero, 55, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on or about Dec. 18, 2008, at or near Del Rio, Texas. He is further charged as an alien unlawfully in the United States in possession of a firearm, and fraud and misuse of visas, permits and other documents. At the time of his arrest his was in possession of a firearm, and a fraudulent permanent residence card depicting a false identity. Delaware County Sheriff’s Office and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-226

Jerry Dee Keys Jr.; Cristi Lea Keys. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; and Drug Conspiracy. Jerry Dee Keys Jr., a 60-year-old Cherokee citizen, and Cristi Lea Keys, 59, are both charged as a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. They are further charged with possession of meth with intent to distribute; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; maintaining a drug-involved premises; and drug conspiracy. The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-228

Lonnie Ray Stark. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Carrying and Using a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime. Lonnie Ray Stark, 54, is charged with two counts as a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He is further charged with possession of meth with intent to distribute; and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. The Tulsa Police Department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigating agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema Onias is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-237

Luis Ortiz-Rodriguez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by an Alien Illegally in the United States. Luis Ortiz-Rodriguez, 35, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been deported on or about Sept. 17, 2012. He was found in the United States after being arrested by Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department on unrelated charges.  He is further charged with possession of a firearm and ammunition by an alien illegally in the United States. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations are the investigating agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Brasher is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-198

Joel Palacios-Castorena. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Joel Palacios-Castorena, 39, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States. He was found in the United States after being arrested by Rogers County Sheriff’s Office on unrelated charges. He had been previously deported and removed on or about June 22, 2019, at or near Nogales, Arizona. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Brasher is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-229

Bernardo Alberto Diaz-Perez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Bernardo Alberto Diaz-Perez, 36, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after being arrested by the Sand Springs Police Department on unrelated charges. He had been previously removed on or about March 17, 2010, at or near Nogales, Arizona. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Raley is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-225

Tulsa, Okla. – An Arizona resident was sentenced to 20 years and 8 months in prison for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute; possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary sentenced Hatcher Raymond Day, 27, of Phoenix, Arizona to 188 months imprisonment for possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and 60 months for possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Zouhary further ordered the sentences to run consecutively followed by 5 years of supervised release.

“Hatcher came to Tulsa from Arizona for the express purpose of flooding our area with fentanyl. We are committed to bringing down operations that peddle drugs and endanger our community,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “I want to thank the Tulsa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for working together to bring this case for prosecution.”

According to court documents, in September 2022, an officer with the Tulsa Police Department’s Human Trafficking and Vice Unit, received a tip that Day was selling fentanyl pills from a Tulsa Airbnb rental property.

Officers were able to establish Day was the individual who rented the property through Airbnb and Day was present when a search warrant was executed on Sept. 19, 2022. During the search, they discovered more than 8,000 fentanyl pills weighing 888 grams, five firearms, and numerous rounds of ammunition. Day was a convicted felon and, therefore, prohibited from possessing firearms. Officers further discovered four of the five firearms were stolen when they checked the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database.

The Tulsa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Nathan Michel and Kenneth Elmore prosecuted the case.

TULSA, Okla. – A 49-year-old Tulsa Dentist has agreed to a settlement following an investigation and allegations her practice violated the Controlled Substance Act.

Jennifer Burkitt DDS will pay $150,000 in penalties.

During an inspection of Burkitt’s dental practice, authorities discovered multiple violations that occurred Nov. 5, 2020, through June 9, 2022. Violations included failure to maintain effective controls against diversion of controlled substances, practicing dentistry in an unsafe or unsanitary manner, failing to maintain complete and accurate records of controlled substances, failing to retain proper forms and failure to maintain proper inventory.  The investigation also discovered gross negligence by administering unsafe doses of legend drug to children.

“The CSA was enacted to protect the health and safety of the public,” said United States Attorney Clinton Johnson. “Our office is committed to holding health care providers accountable when they violate the law and fail to uphold their duties as gatekeepers to controlled substances.”

The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating the diversion of controlled substances. Record keeping and other regulations applicable to Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registrants, including dentists, are the tools by which the DEA deters drug diversion. 

The DEA conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marianne Hardcastle prosecuted the case.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

Tulsa, Okla. – A Cherokee citizen from Claremore was sentenced for aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under 12 in Indian Country and sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Raymond Dale Dudley, 61, was sentenced July 6 2023, by U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell to 40 years for count one, aggravated sexual abuse of a minor under 12 in Indian Country, and 15 years for count two, sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country. Frizzell further ordered the sentences to run concurrently followed by supervised release, and fined Dudley $50,000.

“The defendant repeatedly abused his own daughter and coerced her into lying about it to avoid prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “The court made it clear that the abuse, betrayal, and blame shifting inflicted on the victim warranted a lengthy sentence.” 

According to his plea agreement, Dudley admitted that he sexually abused the victim between 2009 and 2013. He further admitted that the abuse started when she was approximately nine years old and lasted until she was 13 years old.

In a court filing, the prosecutor elaborated that in 2013, the victim’s older sister reported that she had been sexually abused by Dudley. At that time, Dudley promised the younger victim that he would stop abusing her if she hid the sexual abuse from child protective services workers when they investigated the older sister’s abuse. The younger victim complied, denying any abuse when she was interviewed at the home in 2013. The Oklahoma Department of Human Services closed the investigation.  In 2015, the older sister again disclosed that Dudley abused her, but the Oklahoma Department of Human Services closed the referral, citing the 2013 case closure.

In 2021, the younger victim, now an adult, spoke about the abuse with an individual she trusted. Soon after, the victim reported the crimes to the Claremore Police Department. The younger victim disclosed Dudley repeatedly abused her, and it started when she was nine years old. Investigators also spoke to the older victim who reported being abused by Dudley.

The FBI and Claremore Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chantelle D. Dial and Valeria G. Luster prosecuted the case.

The case is 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

TULSA, Okla. – United States Attorney Clinton J. Johnson announces that Evergreen Hospice, LLC (Evergreen), a hospice company located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has agreed to pay $48,830.70 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by knowingly submitting false claims to Medicare for hospice care provided to beneficiaries who did not qualify for the services. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.

“Unfortunately, some healthcare providers seek to defraud Medicare by billing unnecessary hospice services,” stated U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “Left unchecked, this misconduct would deplete funds available for terminally ill patients desperately in need of the relief that hospice care provides. This settlement should serve as notice to others who consider similar practices that we will vigorously pursue them.”

Hospice care is special end-of-life care for terminally ill patients intended to comfort the dying. Patients admitted to hospice care generally stop receiving coverage for traditional medical care intended to cure their illnesses and instead receive medical care focused on providing them with relief from the symptoms, pain, and stress of a terminal illness. Medicare patients are hospice eligible when they are considered terminally ill and have a life expectancy of six months or less, if their illness runs its normal course.

This settlement resolves allegations that Evergreen knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare for hospice services provided to patients who were not terminally ill and for services that were not medically necessary. According to the settlement agreement, the United States alleged that Evergreen knowingly submitted false claims from Sept. 1, 2017, to May 31, 2020, to Medicare for hospice services that were provided to beneficiaries who did not qualify under the Medicare guidelines for routine hospice care because they were improperly certified as terminally ill. 

The government’s action in this matter illustrates the emphasis on combating health care fraud, and one of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Marianne Hardcastle prosecuted this case.

The Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health & Human investigated this case.  

TULSA, Okla. – A man who was caught downloading and viewing child pornography was sentenced in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Gregory Allen Kirk, 63, of Owasso was sentenced to 66 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for Receipt of Child Pornography. He was further ordered to pay $21,500 in restitution to several victims and $10,100 in fines and penalties.

“My office is committed to the prosecution of those who possess, distribute, or produce child pornography,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson.  “I am thankful for the thorough work of our law enforcement partners for bringing these cases out of the shadows and into federal court.”

According to the plea agreement, Kirk admitted that from about May 2018 through January 2020, he received at least 600 images of child pornography on his computer, which consisted of visual depictions of minor children, under 12 years old, engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including prepubescent children engaged in sexual acts.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cymetra Williams and Vani Singhal prosecuted the case.

The case is 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 www.justice.gov/psc.

TULSA, Okla. – WASHINGTON – The Justice Department is pleased to announce the opening of the application period for federally recognized Tribes and intertribal consortia to participate in the Tribal Access Program (TAP) for National Crime Information, which improves public safety by providing federally recognized Tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for authorized criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes, such as the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

“To improve public safety in Indian country, we must break down the barriers to criminal justice information that Tribal communities have faced for years,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “That is why the Justice Department is expanding Tribal communities’ access to national crime databases that enhance law enforcement efforts and coordination through the Tribal Access Program.”

“The Tribal Access Program has strengthened Tribal criminal justice agencies,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “By using TAP, participating Tribes have shared information about missing persons, apprehended fugitives, registered sex offenders, enforced protection orders, and have made hundreds of entries into the FBI’s NICS Indices database to prevent prohibited persons from illegally obtaining access to firearms. The efficient and effective sharing of criminal justice information has improved public safety in Indian country and beyond.”

“The Justice Department is committed to supporting Tribal law enforcement and protecting Tribal communities,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta.  “TAP empowers participating Tribes to take advantage of information from across the country to better investigate and prosecute crime, carry out background checks for potential foster parents, and keep their communities safe and secure from domestic violence and child abuse.”

The program provides training as well as a web-based application and biometric/biographic kiosk workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) systems. There are currently 123 federally recognized Tribes participating in TAP. The Department will accept TAP applications from July 3 to Sept. 1. Tribes selected to participate will be notified later in September.

“The TAP program has allowed the Poarch Creek Tribal Police Department to have cost-effective access to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system,” said Chief Chris Rutherford of the Poarch Creek Tribal Police. “Now our officers have full NCIC access from their patrol vehicles, desk, or through our Emergency Tribal Dispatch Center. The value of this program to our reservation far exceeds the minimal effort required to be a participating partner in the TAP program.”

For Tribes that are considering applying, TAP staff will be conducting informational webinars describing the program and its capabilities. Webinars will be offered throughout July and August. For more information about TAP, including webinar dates, times, and access information, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap.

Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; registered convicted sex offenders; run criminal histories; located fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children.

“We cannot say enough about the efforts that have been made to get the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas (KTTT) ready for this program,” said Director Cristina Collett-Jensen of the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas Legal Department. “Through these efforts, KTTT will have access to information that will substantially improve the KTTT Police Department’s operations, and thereby allow us to better protect and serve the KTTT community.” 

The Department offers TAP services through one of the following two methods:

• TAP-LIGHT: Provides application that enables full access (both query and entry capabilities) to national crime information databases including the NCIC, the Interstate Identification Index, and the International Justice and Public Safety Network for criminal justice purposes.
• TAP-FULL: In addition to the basic access capabilities of TAP-LIGHT, provides a kiosk workstation that enables the ability to submit and query fingerprint-based transactions via FBI’s Next Generation Identification system for both criminal justice and non-criminal justice purposes.

Because of the program’s funding sources, eligible Tribes must have — and agree to use TAP for — at least one of the following:

• A Tribal sex offender registry authorized by the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act,
• A Tribal law enforcement agency that has arrest powers,
• A Tribal court that issues orders of protection, or
• A Tribal government agency that screens individuals for foster care placement or that investigates allegations of child abuse/neglect.

TAP is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office on Violence Against Women. TAP is co-managed by the Department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and Office of Tribal Justice.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice today announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people.

“This new program mobilizes the Justice Department’s resources to combat the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons, which has shattered the lives of victims, their families, and entire Tribal communities.” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland.  “The Justice Department will continue to accelerate our efforts, in partnership with Tribes, to keep their communities safe and pursue justice for American Indian and Alaska Native families.”

“These new positions represent the Justice Department’s continuing commitment to addressing the MMIP crisis with urgency and all of the tools at our disposal,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco.   “MMIP prosecutors and coordinators will work with partners across jurisdictions and alongside the Tribal communities who have been most devastated by this epidemic.”

“I am excited about the support this program will provide in the prevention and response to missing or murdered indigenous people,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “The support will include assisting in the investigation of unresolved cases and related crimes. It will also promote enhanced communication, collaboration, and coordination among our federal, Tribal, state, and local law enforcement partners on this important issue.”

The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to United States Attorneys’ offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022. 

The program will dedicate five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to United States Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP.  This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues.  The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions, and MMIP personnel will be located within host United States Attorneys’ offices in the Districts of Alaska, Arizona, Eastern Washington, Minnesota, New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and Western Michigan.  Programmatic support will be provided by the MMIP Regional Outreach Program Coordinator at the Executive Office for United States Attorneys.

“The Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the United States Attorney community are committed to preventing and responding to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people. To that end, we will work together with all relevant federal, Tribal, state and local law enforcement partners to locate missing persons and solve crimes where they have occurred," said Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys (EOUSA) Director Monty Wilkinson.  “This new program will allow the Department to build upon the work done by individual United States Attorneys’ offices and ensure continued support to those offices by coordinating outreach regionally on MMIP matters. 

More broadly, this MMIP Program will complement the work of the Justice Department’s National Native American Outreach Services Liaison, who is helping amplify the voice of crime victims in Indian country and their families as they navigate the federal criminal justice system.  Further, the MMIP Program will liaise with and enhance the work of the Department’s Tribal Liaisons and Indian Country Assistant United States Attorneys throughout Indian Country, the Native American Issues Coordinator, and the National Indian Country Training Initiative Coordinator to ensure a comprehensive response to MMIP.

TULSA – On Friday June 23, a federal jury returned guilty verdicts against Amanda Irene Smith, 44, and Joel Richard Smith, 48, for Child Abuse in Indian Country and Child Neglect in Indian Country following a four-day trial. The jury deliberated into the evening.  

“The abuse of children will never be tolerated or go unpunished,” said U.S. Attorney Clinton Johnson. “The years of abuse the victim suffered at the hands of those she should have been able to trust is both heartbreaking and unconscionable. My office and our law enforcement partners are committed to prosecuting perpetrators of child abuse.”

According to the victim’s testimony presented at trial, she “escaped” to a neighboring home on April 5, 2019, when she was 9 years old. She was filthy, in need of medical attention and extremely hungry. She was wearing a diaper and showed signs of physical abuse, and the neighbor alerted authorities. The victim, who weighed 41 pounds and was wearing a toddler size-four t-shirt, was hospitalized for a week to treat malnutrition and inflections from her wounds. The Mayes County Sheriff’s Office investigation showed that the defendants routinely denied the victim food and access to the bathroom, handcuffed her to a “pack n’ play,” and beat her with a belt and livestock whip. Testimony at trial also revealed the defendants forced her to work outside moving rocks and dirt with her hands, pulling weeds and picking up sticks for several hours at a time. 

Previously released on bond prior to trial, the couple was permitted to remain on bond for two weeks and self-report to federal custody for formal sentencing.

U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman presided over trial and sentencing is yet to be scheduled. At that time, both face up to life in federal prison.

Mayes County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI conducted the investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Ihler and Melody Nelson prosecuted the case.

TULSA, Okla. – United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the June 2023 Federal Grand Jury B.

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.

Coby Dale Green. Malicious Use of Explosive Materials. Coby Dale Green, 24, is charged with malicious use of explosive materials after he, on or about Oct. 31, allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail into the Donut Hole donut shop located at 3305 South Peoria Avenue.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is the investigating agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Nassar and Nathan E. Michel are prosecuting the case. 23-CR-209

Lorenzo David Richey. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Lorenzo David Richey, 26, is charged with Failure to Register as a Sex Offender from on or about Dec. 5, 2022.The U.S. Marshals Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-210

Gerardo Alejandro Castro-Reyes. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Gerardo Alejandro Castro-Reyes, 46, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on or about June 7, 2022, at or near Laredo Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-208

Jose Luis Moreno-Yanez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Jose Luis Moreno-Yanez, 46, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been deported and removed therefrom on or about Dec. 13, 2021, at or near Brownsville, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-211

A Claremore man found with more than 500 images of child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Christian Lee Birse, 24, pleaded guilty to distribution and receipt of child pornography.

In his plea agreement, Birse admitted to distributing and receiving child pornography via social media from Jan. 13, 2021, to Oct. 7, 2021, while connected to his employer’s internet service. Birse admitted to receiving at least 5 videos that involved the sexual abuse or exploitation of a toddler and other prepubescent children.

He further admitted that he possessed and accessed more than 500 images of children being exploited and abused.

The images were discovered on the defendant’s cell phones and computer.

The Roger’s County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cymetra M. Williams is prosecuting 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.

A man was sentenced Friday in federal court for strangling an intimate partner in 2021.

“Daniel Jumper strangled the victim and threatened to kill her,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Since taking on a significant increase in domestic violence cases in 2020, federal prosecutors in the Northern District of Oklahoma have proven they are fully capable and have the will to ensure perpetrators of family violence are held accountable for their crimes. I am proud of their pursuit of justice in these cases.”

Chief U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III sentenced Daniel Lee Jumper, 27, of Eucha, to 20 months in federal prison for assault of an intimate/dating partner by strangling and attempting to strangle in Indian Country. Following his term of imprisonment, he will serve three years on supervised release.

In a plea agreement, Jumper admitted that he threatened to kill his spouse after becoming angry with her on Dec. 6, 2021. He then threatened to “rip her head off,” grabbed the victim’s throat and strangled her.

According to court documents, Jumper also punched two individuals who tried to intervene. When he did so, he caused one of them to drop an 8-month-old child .

The FBI and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens prosecuted the case.

A Depew man who used Snapchat to coerce and entice a minor to commit sexual acts was convicted Thursday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. 

Johnny Lee Summers, 23, was found guilty of coercion and enticement of a minor; sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country; and abusive sexual contact with a minor in Indian Country.

“The coercive and manipulative conduct perpetrated by Johnny Summers against a teenage girl is criminal and inexcusable,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This week, the victim took a stand against her abuser, joined by two previous child victims of the defendant. Their compelling testimony helped to ensure Summers was held accountable. I want victims to know that the law enforcement community supports them. We will fully investigate accusations of child sexual abuse and work tirelessly to bring abusers to justice.”

Prosecutors showed that Summers coerced a 14-year-old to engage in sexual activity with him from February 2021 to January 2022. Summers sent thousands of sexually inappropriate messages to the victim on Snapchat and convinced her to engage in sexual activity. He also solicited nude images of the victim and sent her nude images of himself.

Summers’ conduct continued to escalate when he regularly isolated the victim in a bathroom and touched the her in a sexual manner. His crimes culminated when Summers attempted to have sex with her in the bathroom.

During trial, two previous victims of Summers testified that he had solicited nude images and videos of them over Snapchat and Facebook messenger when they were underage.

During closing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Luster told the jury that Summers had manipulated the victim, as well as the victim’s older sister, and his attempts to blame others for his conduct should fall on deaf ears, as he needed to be held responsible for his conduct.

The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valeria G. Luster and Steven J. Briden are prosecuting the case.

United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the March 2023 Federal Grand Jury B.

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.

Tyuane Lamontco Barnes. First Degree Felony Murder in Indian Country; Robbery in Indian Country; Conspiracy; Causing Death by Using and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Barnes, 22, of Tulsa, allegedly conspired with others to rob the minor victim of his firearm, resulting in the victim’s murder on Jan 24, 2023. The FBI and Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel and Aaron M. Jolly are prosecuting the case.

Finnegan Roarke Cutter. Bank Robbery (Charged by Information). Cutter, 21, of Tulsa, is charged with using force and intimidation to rob Truity Credit Union in Bartlesville on Feb. 24, 2023. The FBI and Bartlesville Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan M. Roberts is prosecuting the case.

Osvaldo Bravo-Roblero. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Bravo-Roblero, 34, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on Nov. 28, 2018, at or near Hidalgo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case.

Ty Warren Copeland. First Degree Burglary in Indian Country. Copeland, 30, of Tulsa, is charged with breaking into a residence while it was occupied on Feb. 28, 2023. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chantelle D. Dial is prosecuting the case.

Ismael Borrayo Esparza; Jesus Ricardo Ornelas Virgen. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. Borrayo, 34, and Ornelas, 33, both of Tulsa, are alleged to have conspired together to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; and 100 grams or more of heroin. The two are also charged with maintaining a residence to store and distribute the methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Tulsa Police Department and Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema M. Onias is prosecuting the case.

Ethan Cord Melson. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country. Melson, 26, of Stroud, is charged with assaulting an intimate partner by strangling her on Jan. 20, 2020. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chantelle D. Dial is prosecuting the case.

Josue Ramirez-Yanez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ramirez-Yanez, 37, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on Nov. 22, 2011, at or near Laredo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case.

Joel Alberto Rodriguez-Garcia. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Rodriguez-Garcia, 30, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on Aug. 6, 2020, at or near Laredo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case.

Ramon Silva-Rodriguez. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Silva-Rodriguez, 25, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Jolly is prosecuting the case.

Ray Alexander Villalba; Elijah Paul Titone. Conspiracy (Count 1); Kidnapping (Count 2); Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence (Counts 3, 5, 7, 9, 11); Carjacking (Count 4); Obstructing, Delaying, and Affecting Commerce by Robbery (Counts 6, 10); Obstruction of Justice by Threatening Physical Force Against a Witness (Count 8). Villalba, 21, of Goodyear, Arizona, Titone, 24, of Muskogee, and others allegedly devised a plan where they would use dating apps and cell phones to lure potential victims to discrete locations under the guise of romantic encounters then threaten and kidnap victims in order to take their vehicle and property. Specifically, in early December 2022, the two men allegedly used Grindr to lure one man to a remote location then restrained and kidnapped him. They tied the victim up and forced him into the back seat of his car. Villalba drove the victim’s vehicle while Titone allegedly sat in the back with the victim while pointing a firearm at him. Titone showed the victim decapitation videos and Villalba told him that Titone was a member of a cartel that would kill the man if he did not comply. The two then drove the man to an ATM machine and forced him to provide his pin number to obtain money. They also forced him to unlock his phone so they could download Cashapp and transfer money. They once again threatened to kill the man if he called the police then left him on the side of the rode, driving off with his vehicle and wallet. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Tulsa Police Department and Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore and John E. Brasher are prosecuting the case.

Edwar Rosario Villalobos-Quintanilla. Distribution of Fentanyl; Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. Villalobos-Quintanilla, 28, is charged with distributing fentanyl and with conspiring with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon A. Skates is prosecuting the case.

A man who stole grant funding awarded to the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma was sentenced Thursday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Travis Neil Patton, 33, of Wyandotte, to five years of probation for theft from Indian tribal organization. He was further ordered to pay $10, 782.60 in restitution.

Between June and October 2019, Patton knowingly embezzled $10, 782.60 worth of grant funding that had been awarded to the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma by the federal government. The grant money was allocated to support programs to help tribal youth struggling with addiction and mental health issues. Patton had access to and control of the funds when he committed the crime.

The Department of Health and Human Services- Office of Inspector General and FBI were the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Cella prosecuted the case.

A Bixby woman pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday for committing bank fraud when she embezzled nearly $2.2 million from her employer over a period of nine years, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. She further admitted to failing to pay taxes on the embezzled “income” in 2020.

Christine Fletcher pleaded guilty to bank fraud and tax evasion. As part of her plea agreement, Fletcher will pay at least $2,188,870 in restitution to her former employer and $62,067 to the IRS for unpaid taxes in 2020. A federal judge will sentence Fletcher and determine the final restitution amounts at a later date.

Fletcher worked for a company and various other entities owned by her employer for approximately 38 years. She was entrusted to manage her employer’s various Bank of Oklahoma Financial (BOKF) and Trust Company of Oklahoma bank accounts. She was also entrusted with preparing and providing financial statements and related information to the company’s tax preparer. 

In her plea agreement, Fletcher admitted that from December 2012 to approximately May 2021, she embezzled funds for her own personal gain from her employer in the approximate amount of $2, 188,870.

To avoid being detected, she routinely made unauthorized transfers between and among various BOKF and Trust Company of Oklahoma accounts before misappropriating the funds for her own personal use. One of the many ways she fraudulently moved money, included making unauthorized transfers from some accounts into a specific individual’s account. From there, Fletcher prepared forged checks bearing the individual’s name and made the checks payable to herself or on her own behalf. Fletcher also admitted to routinely paying her credit card bills with the unauthorized and forged checks.

Additionally, she admitted that for tax year 2020, she failed to report income she had obtained illegally in the amount of $289,810, thus failing to pay over $62,067 in taxes to the United States Treasury.

The U.S. Secret Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Whipple and Thomas E. Buscemi are prosecuting the case.

An Oklahoma man pleaded guilty, on Friday, March 10, to evading over $1 million in income taxes.

According to court documents, from 2014 to 2019, Phillip Barry Albert of Tulsa was President of Pelco Structural LLC and directed its outside payroll service company to pay him over $2.6 million. Albert instructed that the payments be classified as reimbursements rather than income, so that federal income taxes would not be withheld, and the payments would not be reported on his Forms W-2 as wages.

Albert filed individual income tax returns for 2014 through 2019 that did not report the payments, totaling $2,615,750, thus causing a tax loss to the IRS of $1,000,232.

Albert faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma made the announcement.

IRS-Criminal Investigation and the FBI are investigating the case.

Trial Attorney Meredith Havekost of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard Cella and Thomas Duncombe of the Northern District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case.

A defendant who took part in multiple carjackings that resulted in the murder of a Tulsa man in 2016 pleaded guilty in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Emmitt Graywolf Sam, 24, pleaded guilty to carjacking resulting in death.

In his plea agreement, Sam admitted that in the early morning hours of June 25, 2016, he and another individual carried firearms and committed several carjackings and robberies. Afterward, the two men drove a stolen black Ford Focus to the 8500 block of East 26th St. in Tulsa. Sam admitted that the men then attempted to carjack victim Jonathan Stephens who was standing next to his Chrysler Pacifica. He further stated that during the attempted carjacking, Stephens was shot and killed by the other individual. The two men then fled the scene in the stolen black Ford Focus and committed several more armed robberies and carjackings.

Sam will be sentenced at a later date.

The FBI and Tulsa and Broken Arrow Police Departments conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Brasher is prosecuting the case.

A man who took part in a shooting that led to the death of one man and the injury of a woman pleaded guilty in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Dakota Chase Buzzard, 21, of Grove, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to carry, use, brandish, and discharge a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence.

Buzzard admitted in a plea agreement that he agreed with others to carry and use a .22 caliber rifle to confront victim Jerry Tapp at his home in Delaware County. Tapp was killed during the confrontation. The other two individuals allegedly involved in the killing were the defendant’s brother Cody Dwayne Buzzard, 29, and his father James William Buzzard, 50.

On Aug. 1, 2019, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call reporting a shooting near Jay. Deputies discovered Jerry Tapp deceased in his front yard. It appeared that Tapp sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his body and that a second victim had sustained a gunshot wound to her arm. According to court documents, the victim told investigators that she heard a noise outside the home early that morning and thought Tapp had forgotten his keys to the house. When she turned on the light and opened the door, she heard gunfire and felt a sudden pain in her right wrist. She then shut and locked the front door, crawled to another room, and called 911. The three defendants were later charged with the crime.

On Aug. 11, 2022, Cody Buzzard pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Indian Country and conspiracy to carry, use, brandish, and discharge a firearm during and relation to a crime of violence.

James Buzzard is currently scheduled for trial in April. He is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

See indictment press release here.

The FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and Delaware County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan V. Reininger is prosecuting the case.

A man who restrained and groped a girl at a Dollar General store where he worked and who followed another girl home from a school bus stop then burglarized her family’s home pleaded guilty today in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

William Mark Parnell, 21, pleaded guilty to Attempted Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country and Second Degree Burglary in Indian Country.

On June 1, 2021, Parnell admitted that he was working at a Dollar General in Glenpool when he saw a minor female walk inside. He followed the girl down an aisle then grabbed her from behind, placing one hand over her mouth and another hand down her pants. He told the minor to be quiet and move. He stated that when he tried to turn the girl to face him, she was able to escape. He admitted that he intended to engage in sexual contact with the victim. 

On May 16, 2022, Parnell followed a different girl from a bus stop and broke into her family’s home in Tulsa. The child fled to a neighbor’s house just prior to Parnell’s entry. Parnell admitted that while inside, he stole a firearm. Shortly after, Parnell discarded the stolen firearm in a pond to conceal it from law enforcement.

Parnell was later identified and arrested, and the firearm was recovered from the pond in a joint effort by Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police and Tulsa Police.

The FBI, Tulsa Police Department, Glenpool Police Department, and the Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam C. Bailey and Stacey P. Todd are prosecuting the case.

United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the March 2023 Federal Grand Jury A.

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.

Estaban Abarca-Calbario. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Abarca-Calbario, 43, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on Aug. 11, 2009, at or near Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-99

Dravon Josiah Drayton. Theft of Firearms from a Federal Firearm Licensee; Possession of Stolen Firearms. Drayton, 20, of Peoria, is charged with stealing a Radical Firearm 5.56 caliber rifle; a Walther 9 mm semi-automatic pistol; a Walther .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol; and an IWI 9 mm caliber semi-automatic pistol from a pawn shop. He is further charged with possessing those stolen firearms. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko A. Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-90

Amanda Nicole Gossett; Shawn William Gossett. Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country (Count 1); Child Neglect in Indian Country (Counts 2-3); Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country (Counts 4-5); Child Neglect in Indian Country (Counts 6 and 7). Amanda Gossett, 34, of Bristow, is charged with the aggravated sexual abuse of a child younger than 12 years old. She is further charged with failing to provide for the proper care and protection of two children. William Gossett, 32, of Sand Springs, is charged with the aggravated sexual abuse of both children and with neglecting both children. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-91

Isaias Salvador Huerta-Herrera. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Huerta-Herrera, 36, a Mexican National, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on July 29, 2019, at or near Paso Del Norte Bride, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-92

Kawliga Neal Kingfisher. Possession of Child Pornography. Kingfisher, 34, of Salina, is charged with possessing child sexual abuse material. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Paisner is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-93

Victor Antonio Portillo-Alvarado. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Portillo-Alvarado, 27, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on May 3, 2021, at or near Nogales, Arizona. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-94

Alexander Ian Reid. Advertising to Receive, Exchange, Produce, Display, Distribute, and Reproduce Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Reid, 24, of Bartlesville, allegedly sought and offered to produce, exchange, and distribute child sexual abuse material online. He is further alleged to have possessed child sexual abuse material. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-95

Rene Rodriguez-Hernandez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Rodriguez-Hernandez, 36, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on March 16, 2012, at or near Brownsville, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon A. Skates is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-96

Andrew Cordario Wagoner. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Wagoner, 31, of Tulsa, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol and ammunition. The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O. Johnston is prosecuting the case. 23-CR-99

A defendant who pleaded guilty to fatally shooting a man at a north Tulsa convenience store parking lot was sentenced today in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

“The defendant callously chased down, shot and killed the victim, who was simply sweeping trash from a convenience store parking lot,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Marquelon Johnson will serve a 25-year prison sentence for taking this man’s life. I’m thankful to our law enforcement partners and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Snow and Nathan Michel for ensuring Johnson was brought to justice for this heinous crime.”

U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Marquelon Dakarai Johnson, 22, of Okmulgee, to 300 months in federal prison for second degree murder. Following his release from prison, he will serve five years on supervised release.

Johnson previously admitted that he shot and killed victim Austin Martin and intended to do so.

On Oct. 4, 2021, Tulsa Police Department was dispatched to the 3200 block of E. Pine Street in Tulsa in response to shots fired. They located the victim in the street.

During a review of security footage, officers found that the incident began at a nearby convenience store and continued through a shopping strip parking lot. The footage showed the victim cleaning a business parking lot when the defendant approached him. The two briefly interacted then Johnson walked away while the victim continued to clean the lot. Less than a minute later, the suspect reapproached and interacted with the victim, who then began running east bound through the parking lot. The suspect could be seen reaching under his shirt and chasing the victim. Footage from another location showed the victim running from Johnson who was firing at him. The victim eventually collapsed on the ground and the suspect fled the scene.

Officers were later notified of a man transported to St. Johns Medical Center after he was caught breaking into a vehicle near the crime scene shortly after the shooting. The man had been injured by the vehicle’s owner and others. He refused to answer questions. Officers eventually tied him to the shooting when they recognized his clothing from the surveillance video that captured the murder. They were then able to identify him as Marquelon Johnson.

The Tulsa Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Snow and Nathan E Michel prosecuted the case.

A federal jury convicted an Arizona man after Tulsa police officers found him with more than 8,000 fentanyl pills and multiple stolen firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Hatcher Ramon Day, 27, of Phoenix, Arizona, was convicted Thursday of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute; possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

“Hatcher Day came from Arizona to Oklahoma for the purpose of distributing fentanyl. He further possessed five firearms to help protect his illicit product and profits,” said US Attorney Clint Johnson. “Drugs and guns are never a good combination and too often result in violence and death. These dealers wreak havoc on families and contribute to the economic decline in neighborhoods. My office and our partners at the Tulsa Police Department and ATF are committed to stopping them.”

In September 2022, an officer with the Tulsa Police Department’s Human Trafficking and Vice Unit, received a tip about a man who was selling fentanyl pills out of a Tulsa home. A subsequent records check revealed that the residence was a short-term Airbnb rental property.

On Sept. 19, 2022, Tulsa police officers executed a search warrant on the home, where Day was present. During the search, they discovered more than 8,000 fentanyl pills weighing 888 grams, five firearms, and numerous rounds of ammunition. Day was a convicted felon and, therefore, prohibited from possessing firearms. Officers discovered four of the five firearms were stolen when they checked the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. Additionally, officers established that Day was the individual who rented the property through Airbnb.

During trial, a witness testified that he and Day came from Arizona to Tulsa for the purpose of distributing fentanyl. He also testified that before the search warrant was executed on the home, he witnessed Day conduct a drug deal, where Day agreed to sell a customer two “boats” of fentanyl. A “boat” is considered one thousand fentanyl pills.

The Tulsa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel and Kenneth Elmore prosecuted the case

A Tulsan who sexually abused a young child for approximately one year was sentenced Monday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary sentenced Robert William Perry II, 32, to life in federal prison. In May, Perry was found guilty at trial for aggravated sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country and for abusive sexual contact of a minor in Indian Country.

“Robert Perry’s crimes are despicable. The defendant repeatedly abused a 7-year-old girl for whom the defendant was responsible,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This week, the Court made it clear that Perry’s predatory crimes and blame shifting warranted a lifetime in federal prison.”

During the hearing, the judge called Perry’s actions intentional and manipulative. He reflected on the long-term trauma the child would have to live with then noted that protecting children was one of society’s highest duties.

Perry sexually abused the minor from May 6, 2017, to May 15, 2018,. Prosecutors contended that Perry would coerce the young child into sex acts then “reward” her with candy, other items, and the opportunity to play video games in what the defendant termed as a “man cave,” a closet where Perry regularly played video games and watched pornography. Most of the abuse occurred in the closet while the child was in the defendant's care. The child eventually told a friend at school about the abuse. Another student overheard the discussion and reported it to her teacher. The teacher had a conversation with the victim, who then disclosed the abuse and wrote about it. The teacher reported the crimes to the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

In a forensic interview, the young child was initially hesitant to speak about the abuse but indicated that Perry made her keep secrets. She eventually drew a picture of the abuse when she was examined by a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. She also testified about the abuse at an earlier state trial and at the federal trial in May 2022.

Perry was previously convicted in Tulsa County District Court in 2020, but the conviction was later dismissed because the state lacked jurisdiction to prosecute the case following the Supreme Court’s decision in McGirt v Oklahoma. Perry is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation, and the crimes occurred within the tribe’s reservation. Only the federal government or tribes have jurisdiction to prosecute cases that occur in Indian Country that involve Native American defendants.

The FBI and Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex M. Scott and Valeria G. Luster prosecuted the case.

*Note: The defendant, Robert Perry II, now identifies as she/her.

A federal jury found a Tulsa man guilty this week for assaulting two security officers with his vehicle, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Leeroy Wendell McQueary II, 40, was convicted of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country.

“Two security officers tried to calm Leeroy McQueary II down inside St. Francis Hospital, and when that failed, they escorted him out of the facility to protect employees and patients,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Then McQueary  aimed his vehicle at the officers, accelerated, and attempted to run them down. He’s now learned there were consequences for his criminal behavior.”

On Nov. 4, 2022, McQueary entered the St. Francis Hospital lobby, acting agitated and stating that he was trying to locate a friend, whom he couldn’t name. Concerned about his erratic and angry behavior, front desk employees asked him to step to another area of the lobby while they tried to gather more information.  They then contacted security for assistance.

When two security officers arrived and calmly requested more information about the “patient,” McQueary again could not provide the patient’s name nor a valid hospital room number. He continued to act erratic. McQueary’s behavior further escalated when security asked him to leave and eventually escorted him from the facility using verbal commands.

McQueary continued yelling expletives at the security team and repeatedly threatened to hunt them down and kill them. Security provided the defendant space and a clear path to exit the parking area.

McQueary entered his vehicle and backed out of his parking spot, then accelerated his car, aimed at, and rammed a parked security vehicle occupied by a third officer. He then accelerated down the parking lane.

Officers ran across the parking lot to see where McQueary was headed. At one point, McQueary made a deliberate U-turn and accelerated toward both security officers at a dangerous pace. He then aimed more deliberately toward them. Officers drew their firearms to no effect and eventually fired at the defendant’s car. Before being struck, both security officers jumped away from the vehicle, which almost hit them.

The defendant then sped up, drove over a parking lot curb, attempted to drive away, and crashed into an electric box.  He exited the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.

Hospital surveillance video verified the front desk employees’ and officers’ accounts about what happened in the lobby. Surveillance and several witnesses further verified the incident that occurred outside the hospital.

The Tulsa Police Department located and arrested McQueary on Nov. 30, 2022.

The Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Niko A. Boulieris and Adam C. Bailey are prosecuting the case.

A man whose illicit drug operation resulted in one of the largest fentanyl seizures in the Northern District of Oklahoma pleaded guilty in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Raul Plata-Cibrian, 25, a Mexican National illegally residing in United States, pleaded guilty to possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.

“In the last year, the illicit sale of deadly fentanyl has dramatically increased in the Northern District of Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Drug traffickers are pushing this poison in our communities without regard to the human toll it exacts. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue to target individuals, from high-level fentanyl traffickers to street level dealers, and hold them accountable for spreading addiction and causing death throughout northeastern Oklahoma.”

“Fentanyl and other illicit drugs are not victimless crimes,” said Tulsa Police Chief Wendell Franklin. “They have always been an overwhelming contributor to today’s problems to include homelessness, property crimes, and violent crimes. Drugs are the one constant present in crime, and it is overlooked and accepted by many. The Tulsa Police Department, United States Attorney’s Office, and the DEA will continue to focus our efforts on the root cause of crime.”

“This guilty plea sends a message to drug traffickers that those who endanger innocent lives by pushing fentanyl will not be tolerated,” said Eduardo A. Chávez, Special Agent in Charge of the Dallas Field Division, who oversees operations in Oklahoma. “Drugs and those who distribute these poisons have no place in our neighborhoods. The DEA will never waver in our resolve to identify and hold those responsible for their actions.”

Investigators with the Tula Police Department began tracking Plata-Cibrian in July 2022. They noted that Plata-Cibrain would drive to various parking lots throughout Tulsa in a matter of hours and that he would repeat the driving behavior daily. Investigators knew the defendant’s behavior to be indicative of drug trafficking and eventually executed a search warrant of the trafficker’s residence on Aug. 2, 2022.

During the search, officers located approximately 3,530 grams of fentanyl powder, 1,343 grams of fentanyl pills, 2,732 grams of methamphetamine, 498 grams of cocaine, and 146 grams of black tar heroin. They further located six cellphones, digital scales, a .380 caliber pistol, associated ammunition, and almost $7,000 in cash.

Plata-Cibrian is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and will be sentenced at a later date.

The Tulsa Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick is prosecuting the case.

A Hopkinsville, Kentucky, man made an initial appearance in federal court Wednesday after being indicted for drug conspiracy and related charges, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma.

Melvin Dontreele Brown, 30, was arrested Tuesday in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Law enforcement executed search warrants at four different locations there associated with Brown and on multiple bank accounts. Initial items recovered include approximately $100,000 in cash, $164,000 from bank accounts, marijuana, fentanyl, and a firearm.

Brown is charged with one count of drug conspiracy; two counts of laundering of monetary instruments; and 14 counts of use of a communication facility in committing, causing and facilitating the commission of a drug trafficking felony. 

Brown is accused of conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

According to the indictment, Brown and his coconspirators allegedly distributed bulk quantities of cocaine in the Hopkinsville and Tulsa areas from July 2020 to May 2021 .

The cocaine was allegedly imported from Mexico and transported by couriers in vehicles to Oklahoma and to Brown in Kentucky. The conspirators regularly used cellphones and coded phrases to coordinate their drug transactions. Examples of coded language included “ceiling paint” which referenced cocaine and “paper” which referenced currency used as payment for cocaine deliveries.

The conspirators received bulk quantities of currency as payment for cocaine deliveries and conducted financial transactions using banks in the Northern District of Oklahoma and elsewhere. Brown is charged in the indictment with making two financial transactions designed to conceal the nature and origin of the illicit proceeds.

Brown made an initial appearance in the Western District of Kentucky (Paducah) Wednesday and is scheduled for a detention hearing there Friday at 10 am.  

The prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas and Louisville Divisions and the Tulsa and Hopkinsville Police Departments are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Tonkin is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law

A man who sexually abused a 14-year-old victim and later assaulted his then-girlfriend has pleaded guilty in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Andrew Don Rector, 32, of Kiefer, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor in Indian Country  and assault of an intimate/dating partner by strangling and attempting to strangle in Indian Country.

In his plea agreement, Rector admitted that on Aug. 15, 2020, to Aug. 16, 2020, he sexually abused a 14-year-old victim while she was at his home. Officers dispatched to locate the teenager, who was reported as a runaway, discovered the victim in the defendant’s home. Law enforcement were able to prove the sexual assault after interviewing the victim and analyzing DNA evidence.

Rector further admitted that from May 3, 2022, to May 4, 2022, he strangled his dating partner. During the domestic violence assault, he strangled the victim multiple times and also threatened to kill the victim and her family.

The FBI and Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Childress and Cymetra Williams are prosecuting the case.

 A man who received $20,665 from the Small Business Administration after fraudulently applying for a Paycheck Protection Program loan pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Malcolm Andre Jones, 31, of Broken Arrow, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. In his plea agreement, Jones admitted that he devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration of the funds. 

Specifically, Jones knowingly submitted a false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan application to Capital PF, a Small Business Administration approved lender. The loan application Jones prepared and submitted falsely claimed that he operated a landscaping business and that all loan proceeds would be used for business-related purposes. Instead, when he obtained the funds in March 2021, he used the loan proceeds for miscellaneous non-business expenses, including paying bills and purchasing a couch and an automobile. Jones further fraudulently submitted a forgiveness application for the loan and was granted forgiveness based on his submission. 

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection- Office of Inspector General and the Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Cella is prosecuting the case.

To learn more about the Justice Department’s COVID response and to report COVID-19 fraud, visit: https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.  For further information on the Criminal Division’s enforcement efforts on PPP fraud, including court documents from significant cases, visit the following website: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/ppp-fraud.

A defendant who broke into a Broken Arrow home and assaulted a woman and man in 2017 was sentenced Friday in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Louis Clayton Chaffin, 45, of Tahlequah, to 84 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release.

Chaffin previously pleaded guilty to first degree burglary in Indian Country and three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm in Indian Country.

“Louis Chaffin broke into a home wielding a bat and gun. He then assaulted two victims, seriously injuring them. Fortunately, the incident was deescalated when the homeowner stepped in and stopped him,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “Today’s 7-year sentence should make it clear that this office and our law enforcement partners will hold violent perpetrators accountable.”

Chaffin admitted that on Dec. 9, 2017, he broke into the home by kicking in the front door and while carrying an aluminum baseball bat and a 9mm pistol. Chaffin struck the man and woman with the bat repeatedly. He pointed the gun at the man and pistol whipped him in the face. The incident only ended after another individual, the homeowner, took out his own gun and ordered Chaffin to leave.

As a result of the assault, the male victim suffered broken facial bones and a fractured skull. The female victim suffered a concussion from the beating, and her face later required numerous stitches.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Broken Arrow Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Harder and Eric O. Johnston prosecuted the case.

Two men pleaded guilty this week in federal court to child pornography charges, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Eli Cooper Cailler, 24, of Inola, pleaded guilty on Feb. 16, 2023, to possession of child pornography and receipt of child pornography. In his plea agreement, Cailler stated that he possessed, accessed and received child sexual abuse material. The material included an extensive number of photographs and videos of minors under the age of 12. He further stated that he possessed the images on his own electronic devices, which no one else had access to and that he received the visual depictions using Google Drive and the dark web. The Tulsa Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Paisner is prosecuting the case.

Mikaili Diwani Cohn, 25, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty on Feb. 13, 2023, to receipt and distribution of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and failure to register as a sex offender. The investigation was initiated after Cohn failed to update his sex offender registry with his new Tulsa address. When he was located, U.S. Probation officials arrested Cohn and confiscated his phone. Homeland Security Investigations agents later discovered child sexual abuse material on the phone. In his plea agreement, Cohn admitted to possessing and distributing three child pornography videos via Kik from May 26, 2022, through July 12, 2022. At least one of the videos depicted a child under the age of 12. Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Jiang and Valeria G. Luster are prosecuting the case.

These cases were 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 www.justice.gov/psc.