Northern District of Oklahoma

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Treveon Montrell Vaughn, 27, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty today to obstructing commerce by robbery and to brandishing a firearm during six different robberies at local donut and Dollar General stores.

Vaughn committed the armed robberies between June 24, 2018, and August 17, 2018, and at one point committed three robberies in one day. In each of the robberies, Vaughn wore a mask and brandished a firearm, threatening store employees and stealing cash from registers. Vaughn’s crime spree ended when Tulsa police officers were called to the scene of a robbery in progress at a Dollar General store on August 17, 2018, and Vaughn became trapped inside the store. At one point during the resulting stand-off with officers, the defendant started a small fire, trying to destroy evidence.  He eventually surrendered and was taken into custody.  He eventually admitted to influencing and leading a group of juveniles into his criminal activity, stating they would do anything for money.

“Treveon Vaughn was a brazen, violent criminal. He instilled fear in his victims by making threats and using physical violence. During one robbery, he slapped a customer and fired his gun at the business owner. The Tulsa Police Department is to be commended for stopping Vaughn before his actions resulted in severe injury or death,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Project Safe Neighborhoods is an initiative reinvigorated to target those criminals who repeatedly use violence and create instability and danger within neighborhoods. Vaughn is one of those perpetrators, and he was held accountable today for his criminal actions.  This initiative is most successful when law enforcement, prosecutors, community groups and citizens work together to keep our communities safe.”

As part of the plea agreement, Vaughn will pay restitution to the businesses.

Vaughn will be sentenced in United States District Court on February 11, 2019, by U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell.  Vaughn faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a fine of $250,000.

The Tulsa Police Department and the FBI are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Roberts is the prosecuting attorney.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Andrew Wade Wyrrick, 24, of Owasso, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

As part of his plea agreement, Wyrrick admitted to traveling to Pueblo, Colorado, in April 2018, to purchase marijuana for the purpose of selling it in northeastern Oklahoma. Wyrrick was charged with possession with intent to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana and for possessing a firearm to aid in his drug trafficking crimes.

“Wyrrick admitted transporting approximately 200 pounds of marijuana for sale in northeastern Oklahoma. Like other drug traffickers, he possessed a firearm to further his illicit activity, exponentially increasing the danger he presented to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

Wyrrick will be sentenced in United States District Court on February 11, 2019, by U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell. Wyrrick faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine for the possession of marijuana with intent to distribute charge, as well as a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the second charge, which must be served consecutively to any other penalty imposed

The Tulsa and Owasso Police Departments and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Roberts is prosecuting the case.

With the robust participation of Americans nationwide, the Drug Enforcement Administration and its law enforcement partners have now surpassed its 10 million pound goal and collected nearly 11 million pounds of unused, unwanted or expired prescription medications over the course of 16 successful DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back events.

“The results of our most recent Take Back Day clearly demonstrate a need for this initiative as a tool in the fight against America’s opioid crisis,” said DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon. “The success of this event is a direct reflection of DEA’s commitment to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths in the U.S. Together, we are all helping to make a difference to keep our friends and families safe.”  

Clyde E. Shelley, Jr. the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Division, which overseas DEA operations in Oklahoma and Texas, announced that during the 16th semiannual event on Oct. 27, DEA and federal, state and local partners disposed of more than 900,000 pounds of prescription medications collected at nearly 6,000 sites across the country. Together with almost 5,000 local, state and federal partners, DEA collected and destroyed more than 457 tons of potentially dangerous leftover prescription drugs. This brings the total amount of prescription drugs collected by DEA since the fall of 2010 to 10,878,950 pounds, or 5439.5 tons.

The Dallas Field Division experienced record participation and collected 32,941 pounds of unused, unwanted or expired prescription medications across Texas and Oklahoma. 

Oklahomans located in the 11 counties (Tulsa, Pawnee, Osage, Creek, Washington, Nowata, Rogers, Craig, Mayes, Ottawa, and Delaware Counties) which comprise the federal Northern District of Oklahoma did their part in meeting the milestone, turning over 864.492 pounds of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. United States Attorney Trent Shores and DEA Special Agent in Charge Clyde E. Shelley, Jr., championed the efforts of federal, state, local, and tribal community partners who helped make the event a success.

United States Attorney Trent Shores of the Northern District of Oklahoma stated, “Hundreds of Oklahomans lose their lives every year due to prescription opioid overdoses. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. The DEA’s Drug Take Back Day saves lives. Disposing of these prescription drugs keeps them out of the hands of our children and loved ones and helps stop the spread of addiction. I am thankful to the DEA for their hard work in setting up this event and every Oklahoman who turned in their outdated and unused prescriptions.”

“The DEA Prescription Drug Take-Back program provides all citizens of Texas and Oklahoma the ability to properly and safely dispose of prescription medication that may otherwise be used for nefarious purposes.  DEA Dallas is proud to work hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners and members of the community to stem the massive amount of prescription drugs that serve as a catalyst for the opioid epidemic,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Clyde E. Shelley, Jr.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events continue to remove opioids and other medicines from the nation’s homes, where they could be stolen and abused by family members and visitors, including children and teens.

DEA began putting on Take Back Day events when the public had no other way to appropriately dispose of their leftover painkillers and other potentially dangerous drugs. These events have been extremely successful not only in getting unused drugs out of the house, but also in raising awareness of their link to addiction and overdose deaths. Since DEA launched this program nine years ago, doctors are prescribing fewer painkillers, and law enforcement agencies, pharmacies and others have installed permanent prescription drug drop boxes on-site, making drug disposal even more convenient.

Helping people to dispose of potentially harmful prescription drugs is just one way DEA is working to reduce the addiction and overdose deaths plaguing this country due to opioid medications.

The DEA encourages parents, along with their children, to educate themselves about the dangers of legal and illegal drugs by visiting DEA’s interactive websites at www.justthinktwice.com, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com and www.dea.gov. Also follow DEA Dallas via Twitter at @DEADALLASDiv 

Complete results for DEA’s fall Take Back Day are available at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#initiative-results. DEA’s next Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 27, 2019. 

WASHINGTON – DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon today announced results of the 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment, which outlines the threats posed to the United States by domestic and international drug trafficking and the abuse of illicit drugs.

“This report underscores the scope and magnitude of the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States,” said Acting Administrator Dhillon. “The information in the report represents data and critical intelligence from our law enforcement partners that was gathered over the past year. This report highlights the necessity of using all the tools at our disposal to fight this epidemic, and we must remain steadfast in our mission to combat all dangerous drugs of abuse.”

In response to the DEA’s assessment, Attorney General Jeff Sessions explained that in the last year the Department of Justice has surged resources to those areas most affected by violence and drug abuse, has targeted the most violent offenders, and continues to take a common sense approach to the charging and sentencing of drug trafficking offenses, holding traffickers accountable and helping to protect the American people.

Following the lead of President Trump and Attorney General Sessions, the United States Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Oklahoma is aggressively prosecuting crimes involving illegal opioid distribution. 

 “Oklahoma is not immune to the plague that is the opioid crisis. As the chief federal law enforcement official in northeastern Oklahoma, I have observed an uptick in the number of opioid related investigations and prosecutions that include heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioids. We are focused on identifying and prosecuting those who are responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic. Defendants have included everyone from licensed medical professionals to individuals involved in multi-level drug distribution organizations with international ties. We view all of these individuals as drug traffickers, and no one is exempt from prosecution.” 

One recent opioid related prosecution resulted in the conviction of Darowe Jones, 39, of Tulsa, on October 24, 2018, for conspiracy to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin, as well as other drugs, in the greater Tulsa area. Jones was arrested as part of Operation Alpha, a two-month operation to find and arrest some of Tulsa’s most violent and active criminals. Another opioid related case in the Northern District of Oklahoma included the successful prosecution of Jennifer Boyce, Michael Miers, and Christina Dempsey in 2018, who conspired to sell oxycodone pills which resulted in the death of a woman in Mayes County.

The DEA’s 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment findings included:

• Controlled prescription drugs remain responsible for the largest number of overdose deaths of any illicit drug class since 2001. These drugs are the second most commonly abused substance. Traffickers are now disguising other opioids as controlled prescription drugs to gain access to this market. (pages 1-10)
• Heroin-related drug-poisoning deaths almost doubled between 2013 and 2016. This has been exacerbated by the increased adulteration of heroin with fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. Heroin available in U.S. markets is primarily sourced from Mexico, where opium poppy cultivation and heroin production have both increased significantly in recent years. (pages 11-20)
• Of all opioids, the abuse of illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids has led to the greatest number of deaths in the United States. Fentanyl is increasingly available in the form of counterfeit prescription pills marketed for illicit street sales, and also sold by traffickers on its own, without the presence of other drugs. (pages 21-37)
• Mexican transnational criminal organizations, including the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel, remain the greatest criminal drug threat in the United States. The cartels are the principal wholesale drug sources for domestic gangs responsible for street-level distribution. (pages 97-99)
• National and neighborhood-based street gangs and prison gangs continue to dominate the market for the street sales and distribution of illicit drugs in their respective territories throughout the country. Drug trafficking remains the major income source for gangs. (pages 107-121)

     Illicit drugs, as well as the transnational and domestic criminal organizations that traffic them, continue to represent significant threats to public health, law enforcement, and national security in the United States. In 2016, approximately 174 people died every day from drug poisoning, outnumbering deaths by firearms, motor vehicle crashes, suicide and homicide. The opioid threat – including controlled prescription drugs, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, and heroin – has had a devastating effect on our country.

In 2017, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl were involved in nearly 30,000 deaths, and from 2016-2017, Mexican heroin production grew by 37 percent. Mexican cartels continue to make large quantities of cheap methamphetamine and deliver it to the United States through the Southern border. Seizures at the border increased from 8,900 pounds in 2010 to nearly 82,000 pounds thus far in 2018.

New enforcement priorities and programs implemented by the Justice Department and DEA will positively impact our communities and ultimately save American lives. The Department of Justice has aggressively targeted the opioid crisis through robust manpower and funding, enabling federal law enforcement agencies like the DEA to conduct enforcement operations that target anyone violating the Controlled Substance Act.

In the past year, the Justice Department and DEA have engaged in new projects and initiatives to combat this scourge. DOJ and DEA established Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, a new program seeking to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high-impact areas and identify wholesale distribution networks and suppliers, both domestic and international; added additional heroin enforcement task forces; brought the indictments of two Chinese fentanyl traffickers, Jian Zhang and Xiaobing Yan; extradited  Mexican drug traffickers; reduced the aggregate production quota; emergency scheduled all forms of illicit fentanyl; assigned special federal prosecutors to prosecute opioid-related investigations; authorized the hiring of more than 400 additional task force officers; and continue to work with the Chinese Government resulting in further controls being placed on fentanyl analogs, and related substances.

This month, the Justice Department announced new measures to dismantle transnational criminal organizations. The creation of a Transnational Organized Crime Task Force of prosecutors will coordinate the DOJ’s efforts to fight transnational organized crime. The task force will focus on top transnational organized crime threats that include MS-13, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion, the Sinaloa Cartel, Clan del Golfo and Lebanese Hezbollah, a majority of which are included in DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment.    

The National Drug Threat Assessment provides a yearly assessment of the many challenges local communities face related to drug abuse and drug trafficking. Highlights in the report include usage and trafficking trends for drugs such as prescription drugs, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and the hundreds of synthetic drugs.

The assessment factors in information from many data sources such as drug seizures, drug purity, laboratory analyses, information on the involvement of organized criminal groups and data provided to DEA by state and local law enforcement agencies across the country.

The National Drug Threat Assessment can be accessed here.

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Charles McLoughlin will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general election.  AUSA McLoughlin has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of Oklahoma, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

United States Attorney Trent Shores said, “The right to vote is a fundamental freedom.  All voices must be heard and must be counted.  Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate, and I encourage people to come forward to report election fraud or voting rights abuses. In the Northern District of Oklahoma, my office will uphold its responsibility to protect the right to vote so that all citizens are guaranteed a voice within their communities and nationally.

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur.  The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election d

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.  It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.  For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law.  Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or illiteracy.

The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy.  We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.  In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, 2018, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United States Attorney Trent Shores stated that AUSA/DEO McLoughlin will be on duty in this District while the polls are open.  AUSA McLoughlin can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (918) 382-2713.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day.  The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at (918) 664-3300, or the public may call the FBI’s national tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to voting.section@usdoj.gov or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.

It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Deborah Sue Hand, 51, of Glenpool, Oklahoma, was sentenced today to eight months imprisonment (five of those months are to be served on home detention), as well as a period of 36 months supervised release, for embezzling from a Tulsa labor organization where she was employed as an office manager.

According to her plea on July 23, 2018, Hand admitted to stealing $23,031.59 in payments made to the union as well as illegally spending an additional $21,776.96 on the union’s credit cards.

As office manager, Hand received monies payed to the labor organization in the form of cash, checks, or money orders and was responsible for inputting payments into the company’s system to create receipts. As part of her embezzlement scheme, Hand stole the payments and also fraudulently utilized other employees’ credit cards for her own personal expenses and purchases. 

“Ms. Hand stole money from sheet metal workers and the labor organization that represents them. These workers trusted her, and she violated that trust, stealing and spending the money for her personal benefit. Small businesses and skilled workers are the backbone for a lot of communities across this country. To those who would steal from these hard working men and women, know that the federal prosecutors in northeastern Oklahoma will hold you accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. 

Hand was also ordered to pay restitution to the labor organization in the amount of $44,808.55.  She was sentenced in United States District Court by U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell and faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison.                

This case resulted from a joint investigation performed by the Department of Labor and United States Secret Service and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Cella.

 U.S. Attorney Trent Shores applauds the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, October 27, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 11 collection sites throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma. The event is an effort to rid homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

“I encourage our community to use this opportunity to safely and anonymously turn in outdated and unused prescription drugs, The simple act of safely disposing of outdated and unused prescription drugs helps to stop the spread of addiction and keeps those drugs out of the wrong hands,” said U.S. Attorney Shores.

Last April, Oklahomans located in the 11 counties (Tulsa, Pawnee, Osage, Creek, Washington, Nowata, Rogers, Craig, Mayes, Ottawa, and Delaware Counties) which comprise the federal Northern District of Oklahoma participated in record numbers, resulting in the collection of 1,160 pounds of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Overall, Americans nationwide did their part to drop off a record number of unused, unwanted or expired prescription medications during the DEA’s 15th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, at close to 6,000 sites across the country. Together with a record-setting amount of local, state and federal partners, DEA collected and destroyed close to one million pounds—nearly 475 tons—of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs, making it the most successful event in DEA history. This brings the total amount of prescription drugs collected nationwide by DEA since the fall of 2010 to 9,964,714 pounds, or 4,982 tons.

Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91 Americans die each day from an opioid overdose. Some painkiller abusers move on to heroin: Four out of five new heroin users started with painkillers.

Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards. This initiative addresses the public safety and public health issues that surround medications languishing in home cabinets, becoming highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.

The collection sites in the Northern District of Oklahoma are:

•     Bartlesville Police Department - 615 S. Johnstone Ave., Bartlesville, OK  74003

•     Bristow Police Department – Walmart, 105 W. Highway 16, Bristow, OK 74010

•     Fire Station No. 3 - 100 SE Madison Blvd., Bartlesville, OK  74006

•     Fire Station No. 4 - 3501 SE Price Rd., Bartlesville, OK  74006

•     DEA-Tulsa Resident Office - News On 6 Studios, 303 N. Boston Ave., Tulsa, OK  74103

•     BIA-OJS Miami - Northeastern Tribal Health Systems 7600 S. Highway 69A, Miami,  

      OK  74354

•     Miami Nation Tribal Police Department – 3410 P. St., Miami, OK 74354

•     Sapulpa Police Department - 20 N. Walnut St., Sapulpa, OK  74066

•     Tulsa Police Department – 8310 S. Olympia Ave., Tulsa OK  74132

•     Tulsa Police Department - Patrick Henry Elementary, 3820 E. 41st St., Tulsa, OK  74135

•     Wyandotte Nation Tribal Police Department – 14 South Main, Wyandotte, OK  74370

The DEA cannot accept needles or sharps.  The DEA can accept pills, patches, and tightly sealed liquids.

For more information or to locate a collection site nearest you, go the DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day web site at https://takebackday.dea.gov/#collection-locator where you can search by zip code, city, or state.

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that a jury found Darowe Junior Jones, 39, of  Tulsa, guilty on Wednesday of multiple crimes, including conspiring to distribute more than 50 grams of  methamphetamine and more than 100 grams of heroin.

Law enforcement previously identified Jones as a “Top Ten” suspect of Operation Alpha, a Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative targeting Northern Oklahoma’s most dangerous criminals.  Jones was targeted by law enforcement and arrested on April 17, 2018, on an outstanding felony arrest warrant.  Dannie Dill, a co-conspirator and “Top Ten” suspect, was also arrested two days later.  Dill pleaded guilty on September 5, 2018 to participating in the methamphetamine and heroin distribution conspiracy, as well as other charges.

“The prosecution of Darowe Jones began with his arrest as part of Operation: Alpha. TPD had identified Jones as a “top ten alpha criminal” in Tulsa. He was a high volume drug dealer who peddled heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, ecstasy, and Xanax. Even after his arrest, Jones orchestrated his narcotics business from jail by directing accomplices to hide evidence, including drugs and money,” stated U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Late yesterday, a jury held Jones accountable for his crimes by returning verdicts of guilty on all counts. I thank the jury for their service.”

During Jones’ trial this week, prosecutors presented evidence showing that Jones conspired with his partners to receive drugs through the mail at various addresses in Tulsa and Broken Arrow, which he later distributed in the Tulsa area.  The evidence further showed that Jones sent $97,000 in cash over a two-year period to his out-of-state sources of supply to purchase a wide array of narcotics.  Prosecutors called Jones a “one-stop-shop” for drugs, including methamphetamine, black-tar heroin, cocaine, ecstasy, marijuana, and Xanax. 

Through the investigations, agents found that Jones had sent numerous text messages to his co-conspirators discussing “swerves,” a term for a drug deal. Once arrested, Jones called his coconspirators from jail, discussing their drug distribution activities in thinly veiled terms.  In one of these calls, Jones orchestrated an attempt by his coconspirators to remove $15,000 in drug proceeds from a hiding place in Jones’ residence so investigators could not find it. Jones later coordinated the distribution of the funds. 

Ultimately, the jury found Jones guilty of 15 total charges. U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan presided over the trial and will sentence Jones on January 28, 2019.  Jones faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the drug conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute heroin charges; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for the possession with intent to distribute marijuana charges; and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for the maintaining a drug involved premises charge.  In addition, Jones faces a mandatory minimum consecutive penalty of five years in prison and a maximum consecutive penalty of life in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. Jones faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felon-in-possession of firearms and ammunition charge. 

Jones’ arrest and conviction were the result of a coordinated effort involving the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshal Service, the Tulsa Police Department, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas E. Duncombe, Dennis A. Fries, and Joel-lyn A. McCormick.

Anthony Ronnie Martinez, 45, of Tulsa, was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison for stealing and unlawfully carrying away firearms from a licensed dealer and for possessing, receiving, concealing, storing, bartering, selling, and disposing of stolen firearms and ammunition. 

On November 10, 2017, Martinez and his girlfriend, Shannon Lee Fryman, backed a vehicle into a Tulsa gun store and stole 11 firearms, including assault rifles, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, then fled the premises.  Over the next three days, the two traded multiple firearms for cash and methamphetamine.  On, January 8, 2018, Martinez pleaded guilty to the charges.

“Federal and local authorities worked together to track down Martinez and Fryman, following their brazen late night raid of a federal firearms licensee’s store.  The Tulsa and Broken Arrow Police Departments, along with the ATF, really did amazing work on this investigation in identifying and finding the suspects as well as the stolen guns.  Their diligence, combined with a focused federal prosecutor, secured this conviction and sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.  “This case is a win for public safety and for the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.  PSN is making a positive difference in northeastern Oklahoma’s violent crime rate one case at a time.”

U.S. District Judge John Dowdell sentenced Martinez to 63 months in prison and ordered Martinez and Fryman to pay restitution in the amount of $50,534 for the damage caused during the robbery. He will also be required to serve three years of supervised release.

This prosecution was part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods and resulted from an investigation conducted by the Tulsa and Broken Arrow Police Departments and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan M. Roberts prosecuted the case.

WASHINGTON— The Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior announced a dramatic expansion of the federal government’s key program that provides tribes with access to national crime information databases, the Justice Department’s Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP).

Trent Shores, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma and Chairman of the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Native American Issues, announced today that the Miami Agency will gain access to TAP through the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS). The Miami Agency is located within the Northern District of Oklahoma. It services nine Federally recognized Tribes which include the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma; Miami Tribe of Oklahoma; Modoc Tribe of Oklahoma; Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma; Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma; Quapaw Tribe of Indians; Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma; Shawnee Tribe; and Wyandotte Nation.

In past years, the Cherokee and Wyandotte Nations, both located in the Northern District of Oklahoma, have also gained access to the program.

“As a pilot participant of the DOJ’s Tribal Access Program, the Cherokee Nation has greatly benefited from the collaboration. It has been advantageous not just to the tribal Marshal Service, but also to our non-criminal departments like Indian Child Welfare, Child Support Services and Human Resource departments,” said Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker. “Access to the national crime information systems has allowed Cherokee Nation to expedite the placement of children by our ICW officials, speed up the tribe’s hiring process and better prepare our Child Support Services employees for court cases. All these advances are enabling us to improve services to Cherokee Nation citizens.”

This year, a total of 25 tribes have been selected to participate in the next phase of TAP while 28 BIA-OJS agencies, including detention centers, will now have access to TAP. Three more BIA-OJS agencies will have TAP kiosks installed for the dedicated purposes of vetting foster parents for Tribes within their service areas. Other tribes and agencies in Oklahoma included in this next phase of TAP are the Cheyenne and Arapahoe Tribes of Oklahoma, the Absentee-Shawnee Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, and the Anadarko Agency.

By the end of 2019, the Justice Department will expand the number of TAP participating tribes by more than 50 percent—from 47 tribes to 72. The Department of the Interior (DOI) will fund the instillation of TAP Kiosks at three locations where the BIA-Office of Indian Services (BIA-OIS) deliver direct service social services by the end of 2019 and DOI aims to expand TAP access at all 28 BIA-Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS) operated law enforcement agencies and detention service centers.  These BIA locations will provide some degree of access to TAP for services delivered to more than 50 tribal communities that currently do not have any direct access.

“Access to information is vital to effective law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “The Tribal Access Program will enhance and improve the ability of tribal law enforcement officers to serve their communities. The Native American Issues Subcommittee is proud to support the continued expansion of this tool throughout Indian Country.”

The Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS) is comprised of United States Attorneys with Indian Country in their federal districts. They advise the Attorney General regarding the development and implementation of policies pertaining to justice in Indian Country. The NAIS identified ‘increased law enforcement resources’ as one of four priority areas to improve justice services in Indian Country. Support for and increased dissemination of the TAP was unanimously supported by the US Attorneys at a recent NAIS meeting in Indian Country in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

TAP, offered in two versions, TAP-FULL and TAP-LIGHT, allows tribes to more effectively serve and protect their communities by fostering the exchange of critical data through several national databases through the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS) network, including the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), Next Generation Identification (NGI), National Data Exchange (N-DEx), National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP) as well as other national systems such as the International Justice and Public Safety Network (Nlets).  TAP enhances tribal efforts to register sex offenders pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA); have orders of protection enforced nationwide; protect children; keep firearms away from persons who are disqualified from receiving them; improve the safety of public housing, and allow tribes to enter their arrests and convictions into national databases.

TAP-FULL consists of a kiosk workstation that provide access to national systems and is capable of processing finger and palm prints, as well as taking mugshots and submitting records to national databases. TAP-LIGHT is software for criminal agencies that include police departments, prosecutors, criminal courts, jails, and probation departments. Both versions provide federally recognized tribes the ability to access and exchange data with national crime information databases for both civil and criminal purpose. TAP is currently available to 47 tribes nationwide with over 220 tribal criminal justice and civil agencies participating.

For more information on TAP, including a list and map of present TAP-FULL and TAP- LIGHT tribes, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap

For more information about the Justice Department’s work on tribal justice and public safety issues, visit: www.justice.gov/tribal

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today that Skylor Ramazani Norman, 24, of Broken Arrow, was sentenced to serve more than 10 years in federal prison after being found guilty of Enticement of a Minor.

United States District Judge Claire V. Eagan ordered Norman to pay restitution in the amount of $3,925 and a special monetary assessment totaling $100. After release from prison, Norman must serve seven years of supervised release.

On February 19, 2018, Norman provided the 12-year-old victim with his telephone number while she was at a local restaurant. She did not have a cell phone, so she downloaded an app on her iPad and later began communicating with the perpetrator. Norman groomed the victim, asking to be in a relationship with her and referring to her as his girlfriend. After multiple text exchanges, they agreed to meet. The victim sneaked out of her mother’s house and spent two nights at Norman’s residence. The mother, fearing her daughter had been kidnapped, contacted police. 

“Children’s frequent use of technology has made them especially vulnerable to perpetrators who gain their trust and exploit them,” stated U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “This prosecution serves as a stern warning to those predators who would initiate contact and use texting apps and social networking to prey upon children in northeastern Oklahoma. Your criminal actions will be exposed. Law enforcement agents will find you, and federal prosecutors will give voice to the child victims who suffered at your hand.”

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, 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.

Investigating officials were the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Broken Arrow Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey A. Gallant and Victor A.S. Régal. 

U.S. Attorney Trent Shores announced today that the Northern District of Oklahoma increased prosecution of violent crime and firearms defendants by more than 100 percent in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 when compared to FY 2017. The increased prosecutions have shown promising results across Tulsa, with 36 fewer homicides in FY 2018 when compared to FY 2017. Across the nation, under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Department of Justice charged the largest number of violent crime and firearm defendants in its history in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018.

“President Donald Trump is a law-and-order President—and this is a law-and-order administration,” said Attorney General Jeff Sessions.  “The Department of Justice is breaking law enforcement records and doing so by significant margins.  When I took office as Attorney General, I ordered federal prosecutors and agents to take illegal guns off of our streets, to prosecute crimes aggressively, to protect our nation’s borders, and to target white collar fraud.  With support from our state and local partners, our federal prosecutors and agents have delivered—and I am grateful to them and the fabulous state and local officers who worked so hard to make these achievements possible.  And we are seeing results.  Violent crime and homicides, which jumped in 2015 and 2016, both dropped in 2017 and will drop again in 2018.  There can be no doubt that good law enforcement policies can make our communities safer.”

“The men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office are working diligently to protect the citizens of the Northern District of Oklahoma. We are specifically focused on targeted crime reduction, not simply increasing prosecution numbers. We are partnering with state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials to target those criminals posing the greatest threats to our community,” stated U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Collaborative law enforcement is good law enforcement. That includes participation of citizens in community policing as well as community engagement by justice officials. Whether violent crime, drug trafficking, or white collar crime, federal prosecutors in northeastern Oklahoma stand ready to act. I am proud of the selfless efforts of all the public servants who work in law enforcement and the justice arena. Criminals should be on notice that we will hold them accountable when they run afoul of the law in northeastern Oklahoma.”

According to data from the Executive Office of United States Attorneys (EOUSA), the number of defendants charged with criminal felony offenses increased by nearly 15 percent from more than 71,200 defendants in FY 2017 to more than 81,800 in FY 2018. 

In FY 2018, the Justice Department charged the largest number of violent crime defendants since EOUSA started to track this category more than 25 years ago (more than 16,800)—surpassing by nearly 15 percent the previous record set just last year.

In FY 2018, the Justice Department charged more than 15,300 defendants with federal firearms offenses, which is 17 percent more than the previous record.

In FY 2018, over 23,400 defendants were charged with felony illegal re-entry, an increase of more than 38 percent from FY 2017.

In FY 2018, over 23,600 defendants were charged with drug-related offenses, an increase of more than six percent from FY 2017.  

Also in FY 2018, the Justice Department increased white-collar prosecutions by more than three percent, charging more than 6,500 defendants.

Finally, in FY 2018, more than 68,400 defendants were charged with misdemeanor illegal entry.  This is the highest number of such defendants charged since EOUSA started to track this category and an almost 86 percent increase from the previous year.  This total is also more than 4 percent higher than the previous record of over 65,500 defendants set in FY 2013

Former Mayes County Deputy Sheriff Brett Mull, 47, of Pryor, surrendered to the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office on Monday in response to a Criminal Complaint filed in U.S. District Court alleging he misused his position to obtain methamphetamine that had been collected as evidence during drug investigations.

Mull was charged with tampering or obstruction of an official investigation or proceeding. According to the complaint, investigators discovered Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation evidence submittal envelopes during a search of his residence, on July 3, 2018.  The envelopes appeared to have previously contained methamphetamine seized during Mayes County law enforcement operations. The complaint alleges that Mull admitted to officers that he had removed the evidence from the Criminal Investigations Unit, which he supervised, for his own personal use.

“This case demonstrates the destructive lure of methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “More importantly, Mr. Mull has allegedly violated the public’s trust and abused his position as a deputy sheriff. Those serving in law enforcement must maintain a justice system that fosters trust among the people of this nation who count on these men and women. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will seek to hold Mr. Mull accountable in a court of law.”

This matter will proceed in United States District Court in Tulsa, where the Criminal Complaint is currently pending. A Criminal Complaint is a temporary charge alleging a violation of law. For the case to proceed to trial, the United States must present the charge to a federal Grand Jury within 30 days. Once a Grand Jury returns an Indictment, a defendant has a right to a jury trial at which the United States would have the burden of proving the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

TULSA, Okla.— United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today that Bolutife Olusegun Olorunda, 29, of Vancouver, Washington, was sentenced to three months of probation for Assault Within Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction.

On May 30, 2018, while on Delta Air Lines flight 1156, en route from Portland, Oregon, to Atlanta, Georgia, Olorunda verbally assaulted and interfered with a flight attendant on the aircraft. Due to his threatening behavior, the pilot and Captain of the aircraft declared an “emergency” and diverted the aircraft to Tulsa International Airport for an emergency landing.

“Airline passengers must follow the lawful directions of flight crew members. As this case shows, there are serious consequences when one does not abide by the rules of the flight. There are no exceptions. This defendant’s actions caused a flight to be diverted to Tulsa. Diverted flights are costly to the airlines and extremely inconvenient to other travelers,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “More importantly, defiant and belligerent behavior potentially places lives at risk. The crew and Federal Air Marshals are to be applauded for swiftly handling the situation and ensuring the safety of those aboard Delta flight 1156.”

As part of his Plea Agreement, Olorunda will also pay restitution to Delta Air Lines in the amount of $9,118 for the cost of diverting the flight for an emergency landing.  Additionally, Olorunda will face a civil penalty, which includes significant fines from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Transportation Security Administration.

Olorunda faced a maximum sentence of six months in prison, a $5,000 fine, and one year supervised release.  He was sentenced today in United States Magistrate Court by U.S. Magistrate Judge Jodi F. Jayne.

The case was investigated by agents with the Transportation Safety Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tulsa Airport Police.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley handled the prosecution of this case. AUSA Raley is the National Security Anti-Terrorism (ATAC) Prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma.

Brian Kirk Marshall, 49, of Kansas, Oklahoma, made an initial appearance in United States District Court Tuesday, in Arkansas, on a Complaint charging Marshall with assaulting a federal officer on October 1, 2018, in Delaware County. At the time of the alleged incident, the FBI was executing both an arrest warrant for interstate threats Marshall allegedly made to kill police officers and a search warrant for the Delaware County residence where Marshall was found. According to the Complaint affidavit, Marshall allegedly fired shots at FBI agents using a .45 caliber pistol as the FBI SWAT Team attempted to call occupants safely out of the residence. FBI agents returned fire, injuring Marshall.

“I am thankful for the selfless acts of courage and professionalism exhibited by the FBI SWAT team during the apprehension of this subject,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “The suspect, Mr. Marshall, was located in a trailer in rural Delaware County. An FBI negotiator attempted to secure a peaceful surrender by the suspect. Mr. Marshall is alleged to have fired on agents, and the FBI responded accordingly, striking the suspect twice. Mr. Marshall was immediately provided medical treatment and arrested without further injury or incident. No agents were injured. I am thankful this matter was resolved without loss of life.”

This matter will proceed in United States District Court in Tulsa, where the Complaint is currently pending. A Complaint is a temporary charge alleging a violation of law. For the case to proceed to trial, the United States must present the charge to a federal Grand Jury within 30 days. Once a Grand Jury returns an Indictment, a defendant has a right to a jury trial at which the United States would have the burden of proving the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the October 2018 Federal Grand Jury.

The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in an indictment 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.

George Lee Brown, Jr. Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. George Lee Brown, Jr., 34, of Tulsa, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, which included a Glock 23 pistol. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Tulsa Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations are the investigative agencies.

Barbarito De Leon-Compean. Reentry of Removed Alien. Barbarito De Leon-Compean, 53, of Tulsa, was charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported on March 19, 2015, from Brownsville, Texas. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.

Mario De Leon-Meza. Reentry of a Removed Alien. Mario De Leon-Meza, 41, of Tulsa, was charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported on February 25, 2015, at Del Rio, Texas.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.

Nickolaus Antwann Douglas. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Nickolaus Antwann Douglas, 37, of Tulsa, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, which included a Taurus, PT709 Slim, 9mm pistol. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Tulsa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

Blaine Clinton Ford. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of Heroin With Intent to Distribute; Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Blaine Clinton Ford, 27, of Bixby, was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, including a Taurus, PT111 Millennium G2, 9mm Lugar pistol; possession with intent to distribute heroin; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and possession of a firearm to further a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, he could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million dollar fine for each possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance charge; and a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the charge of possession of a firearm to further a drug trafficking crime. The Bixby Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration are the investigative agencies.

Bobby Joe Hurt, III. Felon in Possession of Firearms. Bobby Joe Hurt, III, 25, of Sapulpa, was charged with being a felon in possession of firearms, including a Heritage, Rough Rider, .22 caliber revolver and a Smith & Wesson 13-1, .357 caliber revolver.  If convicted, he faces maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Creek County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

Aaron Michael Jackson. Theft of Mail by United States Postal Service Employee; Possession of Stolen Mail. Aaron Michael Jackson, 28, of Tulsa, was charged with stealing items contained in letters, packages, and mail intended to be sent through the mail system, and with being in possession of those stolen items.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge. The Office of the Inspector General, United States Post Office, is the investigative agency.

Gerardo Regalado-Cuevas. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Gerardo Regalado-Cuevas, 63, of Tulsa, was charged with failing to register as a sex offender from 2014 to present. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The United States Marshals Service is the investigative agency.

Kerry Sloan. Transportation with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity. Kerry Sloan, 55, of Harker Heights, in the Killeen, Texas area, was charged with knowingly transporting a minor with the intent that the minor would engage in sexual activity with him. If convicted, he faces the maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Killeen Police Department, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Raelyn Briana Sutton. Conveying False and Misleading Information Concerning an Explosive Device. Raelyn Briana Sutton, 26, of Spavinaw, Oklahoma, was charged with intentionally conveying false and misleading information in a phone call to the Rogers County Court Clerk’s Office by claiming that a bomb would go off in five minutes. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office, the Grand River Dam Authority Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

Levi William Welker. Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography; Enticement; Tampering With a Victim- 2 counts; Tampering With Documents. Levi William Welker, 27, of Tulsa, was charged with knowingly possessing and distributing child pornography; enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity; attempting to persuade another person to destroy evidence; interfering with reporting of an offense; and destruction of evidence. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. Additionally, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the enticement charge and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each tampering with a victim charge and tampering with a document charge. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Travis Christian Wilbur. Drug Conspiracy. Travis Christian Wilbur, 29, of Miami, Oklahoma, was charged with conspiring to possess and distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and $10 million dollar fine. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

John Andrew Williams. Possession of Fifteen or More Counterfeit Access Devices; Possession of Device-Making Equipment; Wire Fraud. John Andrew Williams, 47, of Pembroke Pines, Florida, was charged with possessing 15 or more counterfeit gift cards and with using credit card encoder equipment to re-encode the depleted gift cards fraudulently with bank account and identification information belonging to other persons, which he had obtained illegally from the “dark web.” Williams was also charged with purchasing U.S. postage stamps from kiosks throughout the United States and selling the stamps on Craigslist by means of wire communications. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the possession of fifteen or more counterfeit access devices charge; 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the possession of device-making equipment charge; and 30 years in prison and a fine of $1 million for the wire fraud charge. The Rogers County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Service are the investigative agencies.

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 U.S. Attorney Trent Shores joined with the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $70 million in grant funding to bolster school security, educate and train students and faculty, and support law enforcement officers and first responders who arrive on the scene of a school violence incident.

Recipients in the Northern District of Oklahoma include the Cherokee Nation, receiving $473,201, and the City of Fairland, receiving $55,842. Both were provided the funding for the COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program.

Other funding recipients in Oklahoma include the Oklahoma State Board of Education, who received $249,684 for BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program and $148,661 for the STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program.  Durant Independent Schools in the Western District of Oklahoma also received $149,772 for the STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program

These grants are in addition to the funding to the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), announced by Attorney General Sessions last week, to expand and update their curriculum to better support training programs. These grants combined will better protect students, teachers, faculty, and first responders across the United States. Additionally, the Department is awarding more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems, which will help law enforcement and increase the effectiveness of background checks.

“President Trump and his administration will ensure the safety of every American school," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "Earlier this year he signed into law the STOP School Violence Act, which provides grant funding to develop anonymous school threat reporting systems, to implement school building security measures, and to train students, school personnel, and law enforcement on how to prevent school violence. Today I am announcing $70 million in these grants to hundreds of cities and states across America. These grants will go a long way toward giving young people and their families both safety and peace of mind.”

“It is imperative that we work proactively to protect Oklahoma’s children from school violence. Law enforcement officials, teachers, administrators, and parents must be united in this difficult, but noble effort. Oklahoma schools should be safe havens for our children,” said U.S. Attorney Shores. “I am proud to announce that Oklahoma - and specifically northeastern Oklahoma entities - will be receiving Department of Justice grants to help prevent school violence. This funding is preventative in that it sets in place processes and equipment that will help stop potential tragedies from occurring. I am thankful to Attorney General Sessions and Community Oriented Policing Services Director Phil Keith for recognizing Oklahoma’s need for these grants.”

 The Office of Justice Program’s (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) together are making more than 220 awards to jurisdictions across the country to help make schools more secure. The awards, granted through three funding streams, will provide new technology for reporting systems and other threat deterrent measures and create school safety training and education programs for school administrators, staff, students, and first responders. This includes the support for existing crisis intervention teams and the creation of new ones.

• BJA’s STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program will provide 68 awards valued at more than $19 million. This funding supports training to create and operate threat assessment and crisis intervention teams and to develop technology for local or regional anonymous reporting systems. This technology may be in the form of a mobile phone application, hotline, or website.
• The STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, also managed by BJA, will provide training and education on preventing violence and effectively responding to related mental health crises. This program will fund 85 awards at nearly $28 million.
• The COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program (SVPP) will provide nearly $25 million to 91 jurisdictions for school safety measures including coordination with law enforcement, training for law enforcement to prevent student violence against others and self, target hardening measures, and technology for expedited notification of law enforcement during an emergency.

The grants are authorized by the STOP School Violence Act, which are intended to improve school security by helping students and teachers reduce exposure to risks, prevent acts of violence, and quickly recognize and respond to violent attacks.

The Department also announced that it has awarded more than $64 million to state agencies to improve the completeness, quality, and accessibility of the nation’s criminal record systems. These grants are administered by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, part of OJP. Approximately $43 million in funding will be administered through the National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP), and nearly $21 million will be awarded under the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Act Record Improvement Program.  These grant programs help states automate and upgrade records accessed by the firearms background check system.  This year, at the direction of the Attorney General, the Department prioritized funding for projects that improve accessibility of criminal history records, domestic violence convictions, and information on persons who are prohibited from possessing firearms for mental-health related reasons.

The Department is also investing over $1 million in research to better understand the factors behind mass shooting incidents. The grant awards, made by the Department’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ), part of OJP, support scientific investigations that will examine factors that contribute to mass violence, identify any patterns in mass shootings, analyze psychological and social life histories of mass shooters and community-level predictors of mass violence, and will examine firearm purchasing patterns of known mass shooters in order to create a risk prediction tool.  

For addition information on today’s grant announcements, visit www.bja.gov or www.cops.usdoj.gov. 

NOTE: The breakdown of the STOP School Violence Grants can be found here: STOP School Violence Threat Assessment and Technology Reporting Program, STOP School Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program, and COPS Office School Violence Prevention Program

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United States Attorney Trent Shores joined with the Department of Justice today in announcing that Oklahoma will receive $4,882,317 in the continued effort to fight the opioid epidemic.

On the first day of National Substance Abuse Prevention Month, the Department of Justice announced it is awarding almost $320 million to combat the opioid crisis in America, including the more than $4.8 million awarded in Oklahoma. The unprecedented funding will directly help those most impacted by the deadliest drug crisis in American history, including crime victims, children, families, and first responders.

The following groups in Oklahoma have been awarded grant funding.

• Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control- $750,000

    -prescription drug monitoring programs

• Muscogee (Creek) Nation- $943,08

    -public safety, behavior health, and public health information sharing partnerships

• Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Inc.- $750,000

    -Programs to help youth impacted by the opioid crisis

• Cleveland County- Adult Drug Court- $250,000
• Cleveland County- Veterans Drug Court- $300,000
• Oklahoma Dept. of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services- $889,229

     -Enhancement of Existing Family Drug Courts       

• Oklahoma Dept. of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services- $1,000,000

    -Family Drug Courts Research and Evaluation Program                                               

"President Trump has made ending the opioid crisis a priority for this administration, and under his leadership, the Department of Justice has taken historic action," said Attorney General Jeff Sessions. "Today we are announcing our next steps: investing $320 million into all three parts of the President’s comprehensive plan to end the epidemic: prevention, treatment, and enforcement. We are attacking this crisis from every angle—and we will not let up until we bring it to an end."   

U.S. Attorney Trent Shores stated, “Opioid addiction inflicts tragic, life-altering consequences upon those individuals ensnared by its relentless hold on their lives. It also destroys relationships and harms family bonds. We must keep fighting for those addicted to opioids. And we must - as a community - be relentless in our efforts to help stop this epidemic.  Today, I am pleased to announce that the Department of Justice will be administering vital resources to our local, state, and tribal partners in northeastern Oklahoma to aid them in their battle against opioids. One more opioid victim is too many.”

In 2017, more than 72,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses, an increase from the 64,000 overdose deaths in 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The majority of these deaths can be attributed to opioids, including illicit fentanyl and its analogues. October marks two important anti-drug events: Red Ribbon Week and National Prescription Drug Takeback Day. Red Ribbon Week takes place every year between October 23-31 and encourages students, parents, schools, and communities to promote drug-free lifestyles. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on October 27 aims to provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent overdose deaths and drug addictions before they start. DOJ expanded on DEA's Drug Takeback Days and collected more than 2.7 million pounds of expired or unused prescription drugs since April 2017. 

The Attorney General has been resolute in the fight against the drug crisis in America. The Department assigned more than 300 federal prosecutors to U.S. Attorneys’ offices and hired more than 400 DEA task force officers, announced the formation of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge, a new program to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas, and created a new data analytics program called the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit to assist 12 prosecutors sent to drug “hot spot districts.” In addition, the Department charged more than 3,000 defendants with trafficking in heroin, fentanyl, or prescription drugs in FY 2017, announced the first-ever indictments of Chinese nationals for fentanyl trafficking, and scheduled variants of fentanyl to prevent illicit drug labs from circumventing the law. In addition, DOJ executed the largest ever health care fraud enforcement action charging more than 600 defendants and proposed rules consistent with President Trump's "Safe Prescribing Plan," requiring a reduction of ten percent in 2019 in manufacturing quotas. The Department dismantled AlphaBay, the largest criminal marketplace on the Internet and has already generated prosecutions in the fight against online drug trafficking through the Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement Team (J-CODE). 

The approximately $320 million awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) will be distributed in order to maximize effectiveness over the country. A breakdown of the grant funding can be found here.

• Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combating Violent Crime and Opioid Abuse ($2.8 Million)
  • Help prosecutors develop strategies to address violent crime caused by illegal opioid distribution and abuse
• Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site-based Program ($162 Million)
  • Help jurisdictions plan and implement programs aimed at reducing opioid abuse and mitigating its impact on crime victims, including training and technical assistance
• Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program ($5.9 Million)
  • Address the treatment needs of people using opioids under the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program
• Helping Children and Youth Impacted by Opioids ($46.6 Million)
  • Help children and youth impacted by the opioid crisis, including training and technical assistance
• Drug Courts ($81.2 Million)
  • Assist adult, juvenile, and family drug courts and veterans treatment courts, including training and technical assistance
• Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grant Program ($17 Million)
  • Address the dramatic increase in deaths and the backlogs of seized drugs as a result of the opioid crisis
• Opioid-Related Research for Criminal Justice Purposes ($4.1 Million)
  • Development of new tools to enforce the law, ensure public safety, prevent and control crime, and ensure fair and impartial administration of justice

OJP provides federal leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has six bureaus and offices: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking. More information about OJP and its components can be found at: www.ojp.gov.

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Kristiana P. Collins, 44, formerly of Tulsa, pleaded guilty Thursday to wire fraud and to signing a false tax return.

In a plea hearing, Collins admitted to embezzling funds from her former employer between 2008 and 2014, when she responsible for paying the credit card accounts and handling bookkeeping operations at a company in west Tulsa.

“Kristiana Collins fraudulently took thousands of dollars from her employer. Embezzlement schemes like this cause serious financial consequences to local businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “And the damage often isn’t limited to financial injury. When a trusted employee steals from company coffers, it collaterally impacts the firm's culture, morale and trust. My office strives to protect the integrity of the workplace by ensuring there is an accounting for criminals who embezzle from businesses in northeastern Oklahoma.”

While working in her position, Collins secretly obtained two Visa cards for herself under the company’s account, which was supposed to be used by various approved employees for company purposes. As part of her scheme, Collins made purchases for her own personal gain on both credit cards and later used company funds to pay the billed charges. 

The plea agreement focused on a $4, 971.24 wire transfer, caused by Collins in 2013, made from the company’s bank account to the credit card company. Collins admitted that some of the purchases on the credit card statement were made fraudulently. She further agreed that she signed her 2013 tax return knowing it did not disclose the material income she had obtained through the use of her employer’s credit card.

Collins will be sentenced on January 7, 2019, at 10:30 a.m., by United States District Court Judge Claire V. Eagan. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and three years supervised release for wire fraud as well as three years in prison and one year supervised release for knowingly signing a false tax return.

Investigative agencies involved in this case include the Creek County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin C. Leitch prosecuted the case.

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Jason Allen Lay, 43, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced on Monday to six years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute one pound of methamphetamine. 

Lay was arrested on September 18, 2017, in Mayes County after an officer with the Grand River Dam Authority observed a vehicle pulling a trailer with a flat tire creating a traffic hazard on Highway 412.  During the stop, the officer determined that Lay had outstanding arrest warrants and subsequently discovered the methamphetamine in the vehicle during a search. 

“Methamphetamine continues to be a destructive force in northeastern Oklahoma. It tears families apart and destroys lives. Drug dealers like Jason Allen Lay must be stopped,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.   

Lay was sentenced in United States District Court by Chief United States District Judge Greggory K. Frizzell. He faced a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and a $5 million dollar fine.

Multiple agencies were involved in the investigation, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Grand River Dam Authority, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Mayes County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Wilson prosecuted the case.

TULSA, Okla.—Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced today the grant awards to Public Safety Partnership member sites that will include $800,000 in funding to Tulsa law enforcement departments and their partners to fight violent crime.

The partnership delivers $10 million in grant awards to support various state, local and tribal law enforcement departments and agencies who battle violent crime. Tulsa was awarded $800,000 to fund ballistic technology and to improve investigative practices through Crime Gun Intelligence Centers. 

The Office of Justice Programs’ Bureau of Justice Assistance, in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, is awarding $5 million under the Local Law Enforcement Crime Gun Intelligence Center Integration Initiative to encourage local jurisdictions to use intelligence, technology and community engagement to identify unlawfully used firearms and to prosecute those who commit violent crimes.

“This crime-fighting collaboration will be Tulsa tailored. It will provide a data driven, strategic look at the city’s most violent and problematic criminal activity that is infiltrating and harming neighborhoods. Additionally, our Tulsa law enforcement partners, who know our community well, will play an active role in forming priorities and solutions and will further gain invaluable tools, training and focused resources,” said United States Attorney Trent Shores. “Together, we will all move forward in our common mission to stop violent crime and create an environment where our neighborhoods thrive.”

Tulsa Police Chief Chuck Jordan said, “We are very grateful to be receiving this Department of Justice grant, which will formalize Tulsa as a Crime Gun Intelligence Center.  This funding will help support collaborative efforts that are already in place with our federal and local partners here in Tulsa. These resources will help us identify our most violent offenders even quicker, targeting them for enforcement and removing them from our streets.  The Tulsa Police Department has a world class forensic laboratory that supports some of the most gifted investigators and prosecutors in the nation.  I look forward to seeing all that is accomplished with this grant!”

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler added, “Tulsa County is indeed blessed to have a network of partner agencies working hard to reduce violent crime in our communities.  I am committed to ensuring public safety, and the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office is proud to be part of this effort.”

Grant recipients include the PSP cities of Indianapolis, Indiana, $798,866; Memphis, Tennessee, $714,055; Tulsa, Oklahoma, $800,000 and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, $634,971.  Other locations include Detroit, Michigan, $800,000; the Albuquerque, New Mexico, Police Department, $452,108, and the City/County of San Francisco, California, $800,000. The jurisdictions will use these awards to hire personnel to utilize the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN), to purchase technology required to operate a Crime Gun Intelligence Center and ammunition for ballistic tests of recovered weapons. 

Attorney General Jeff Sessions made the announcement during today’s National Public Safety Partnership Symposium on Violent Crime in Birmingham, Alabama. The National Public Safety Partnership is a DOJ-wide initiative that enables cities to consult with and receive a coordinated  array of resources from DOJ’s programmatic and law enforcement components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; United States Attorneys’ Offices; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Office on Violence Against Women; the Office of Justice Programs; the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services; and other federal agencies in order to improve local violence reduction strategies. 

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the appointment of Joy Pittman Thorp as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Civil Division and Mark R. Morgan as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division for the Northern District of Oklahoma. They are scheduled to be sworn in Friday, September 21, at 2:00 p.m., at the United States District Courthouse by Chief United States District Court Judge Gregory K. Frizzell.

As an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Affirmative Civil Enforcement unit, Ms. Thorp will prosecute civil actions on behalf of the United States of America to recover damages for fraud and other offenses and impose civil penalties for violations of the federal health, safety and economic welfare laws. One of her primary focuses will be combating the opioid crisis in northeastern Oklahoma. Previously, Ms. Thorp served as an Assistant District Attorney for the 14th and 27th Districts of Oklahoma and as a Deputy Attorney General with the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General. She received her undergraduate degree from Oral Roberts University and her J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law.

As a Criminal Division Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Morgan will represent the United States of America in the prosecution of criminal cases. He joins the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office where he worked as an Assistant District Attorney. While there, he served as the director of the Robbery Unit, the deputy director of the Gang and Organized Crime Prosecution Unit, and as a member of the Crimes Against Children Unit.  Mr. Morgan received his Bachelor of Science (cum laude) from Missouri State University and his J.D. from the University of Tulsa College of Law.

“Joy and Mark will be great additions to our team. Both have worked as public servants and understand the challenges we face here in northeastern Oklahoma. Joy will contribute to the vital work of the ACE unit as it strives to combat the ongoing opioid crisis, while Mark brings his expertise in the fight against violent crime.  I look forward to working with both professionals and know their experience will be an asset to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

WASHINGTON – United States Attorney Trent Shores joined the Department of Justice today in announcing more than $113 million in grant awards to improve public safety, serve victims of crime, combat violence against women, and support youth programs in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, including the Cherokee Nation, the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma, the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Osage Nation of Oklahoma, the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma, and the Wyandotte Nation.

“I am proud of the productive partnership forged between my office and tribal nations. Our collaborative enforcement model delivers fair, impartial, and effective justice to tribal communities in the Northern District of Oklahoma. These justice focused grants will strengthen priority areas for each of the tribal recipients,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Implementing the programs and services supported by this funding will have a lasting impact in Indian Country. As United States Attorney, I will uphold the federal trust responsibility to the federally recognized tribes in northeastern Oklahoma.”

Nationwide, grants were awarded to 133 American Indian tribes, Alaska Native villages, and other tribal designees through the Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation, a streamlined application for tribal-specific grant programs. Of the $113 million, just over $53 million comes from the Office of Justice Programs, more than $35 million from the Office on Violence Against Women, and more than $24.7 million from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.

In addition, the Department is in the process of allocating up to $133 million in a first-ever set aside program to serve victims of crime in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.  The awards are intended to help tribes develop, expand and improve services to victims of crime by providing funding, programming and technical assistance.  Recipients will be announced in the near future.  

 “With these awards, we are doubling the amount of grant funding devoted to public safety programs and serving victims of crime in Native American communities,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Jesse Panuccio, who made the announcement during his remarks at the 26th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  “There is an unacceptable level of violent crime and domestic abuse in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.  This increase in resources, together with our aggressive investigation and prosecution of crimes, shows how seriously Attorney General Sessions and the entire Department of Justice take these issues.  We are committed to reducing violent crime and improving public safety.”

The Four Corners Conference is facilitated annually by U.S. Attorneys from Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah to provide a forum for discussion of justice-related topics with a large number of populous and diverse tribal nations located in the region.

CTAS awards cover nine purpose areas: public safety and community policing; justice systems planning; alcohol and substance abuse; corrections and correctional alternatives; children’s justice act partnerships; services for victims of crime; violence against women; juvenile justice; and tribal youth programs.   CTAS funding helps tribes develop and strengthen their justice systems’ response to crime, while expanding services to meet their communities’ public safety needs.

Today’s announcement is part of the Justice Department’s ongoing initiative to increase engagement, coordination and action on public safety in American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

A listing of today’s announced CTAS awards is available at: www.justice.gov/tribal/page/file/1095161/download.

TULSA, Okla.— United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Timothy Paul Hamilton, Jr., 31, of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a scheme that defrauded investors of $875,300.  Additionally, Gena Catherine Hamilton, 53, and Timothy Paul Hamilton, 56, both of Collinsville, pleaded guilty to giving a false statement to a financial institution.

Timothy Hamilton Jr., who goes by T.J. Hamilton, admitted to promoting false investment opportunities relating to business ventures that were purportedly going to produce and market sportswear and nutritional supplements.  At the time of his crime, T.J. Hamilton was a resident of Oklahoma.

As part of the scheme, T.J. Hamilton, established and claimed to be the President and CEO of multiple companies. The Clean Athlete, LLC, established in 2011, promoted sportswear that could supposedly control the sweat and odor that comes with athletic play.  Two other companies, Clean Athlete Nutrition, LLC, and Complete Athlete Nutrition, LLC, both established in 2012, claimed to create supplements that would improve athletes’ metabolism. His parents, Gena and Timothy Hamilton, were managing members of the companies. They both pleaded guilty today for providing false income information in order to receive a car loan in 2011.

Upon receipt of investor funds, the Hamiltons used a majority of the money for personal gain, primarily for T.J. Hamilton’s country music career ambitions.

“T.J. Hamilton’s fraudulent scheme reeked of deceit, greed, and selfish intent. He scammed investors, many from Oklahoma, by taking advantage of his reputation as a former athlete. His criminal scheme included defrauding one victim out of her life savings. Scam artists like T.J. Hamilton will be held accountable by my office. We will pursue justice and restitution for his victims,” stated U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

As part of his plea, T.J. Hamilton agreed to a criminal forfeiture money judgement in the sum of $869,300, representing proceeds obtained through the conspiracy. All monies will go to provide restitution to the victims.

United States Magistrate Judge Jodi F. Jayne presided over the three plea hearings. T.J. Hamilton’s sentencing date is scheduled for December 13, 2018.  He could face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Gena and Timothy Hamilton’s sentencing hearings are also scheduled for December 13, 2018.

The Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin C. Leitch, Richard M. Cella, Charles M. McLoughlin, and Catherine J. Depew prosecuted the case.

TULSA, Okla.— United States District Court Judge Claire V. Eagan sentenced Slint Kenneth Tate, 36, Tuesday, to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

Tate orchestrated a drug distribution ring from inside a prison using contraband cell phones. The drug ring was involved in the distribution of more than 500 grams of methamphetamine throughout northeastern Oklahoma. Tate utilized individuals from towns in northern Oklahoma to pick up and distribute the methamphetamine. He then stored the profits and associated purchases in Miami, Oklahoma.

“While doing life without parole in the state prison system, Slint Tate continued to pose a significant threat to the general public. His criminal organization - from within the prison walls - trafficked drugs and sponsored violence, facilitated by the use of contraband cell phones,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Operation Mama Tried resulted in the dismantling of the Slint Tate organization. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma stands ready to prosecute contraband cellphone facilitated crimes. Whether you use the contraband phones or provide them, we will hold you accountable.”

Operation Mama Tried is the result of a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, State of Oklahoma District 13 Task Force, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, Miami Police Department, and Grove Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shannon Cozzoni and Catherine Depew prosecuted the case. 

TULSA, Okla.— United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Cristyne Denise Gilleland, 41, of Broken Arrow, pleaded guilty Tuesday to wire fraud involving the embezzlement of more than $2.75 million from an Inola business and to signing a false tax return.

Gilleland admitted to embezzling the money from TJT Enterprises, LLC, and its owner, Tommy Thompson, from 2010 to 2017 by wire transfers, writing checks, and paying credit card charges, all for her personal benefit. As an employee of the company who was responsible for accounting and financial management, she used a variety of methods to conceal her embezzlement, including establishing a business that she used to further her scheme. 

“Cristyne Gilleland betrayed the trust and confidence placed in her by TJT Enterprises and Tommy Thompson,” stated U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “Her guilty plea today is the first step toward justice for the victims. The United States Attorney’s Office will help recover the more than $2.75 million embezzled by Gilleland. Crooks don’t get to keep the things they bought with illegally begotten money.”

The charges specifically focused on a fraudulent $577,500 wire transfer made by the defendant from TJT Enterprises to a business she created for the purpose of embezzling funds, and on a 2015 tax return in which she failed to report $477,199 in income to the IRS.

As part of the plea agreement, Gilleland consented to the forfeiture of substantial assets, including a yacht, a Grand Lake condominium, financial account proceeds and vehicles.  She further agreed to forfeit an additional $100,000.  All of the forfeited proceeds will provide restitution for the victims. 

U.S. District Judge John E. Dowdell will sentence Gilleland on December 11, 2018 at 10 a.m.; Gilleland could face up to 20 years in prison. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation Division investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine J. Depew prosecuted the case.

TULSA, Okla.— United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Richard C. Cole, 35, formerly of Afton, charging him with possession of an unregistered destructive device discovered at a residence in Afton, Oklahoma.

According to court documents, on August 25, 2018, Delaware County Sheriff’s deputies were called to Cole’s apartment unit, when a suspected improvised explosive device was discovered by the landlord. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad was contacted, and upon arrival, they observed two, one pound canisters containing “mixed Tannerite” which is a binary explosive.  The bomb squad also found two boxes of ammunition, along with an explosive device commonly referred to as a “pipe bomb” in an ammunition container.  The explosive experts then rendered the device safe. 

U.S. Attorney Trent Shores stated, “Residents of Afton were unknowingly placed in harm’s way when this pipe bomb was created. Thankfully, it did not detonate.  The immediate reporting and swift action taken by law enforcement potentially saved lives.”

Agencies involved in the investigation and arrest included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case.  AUSA Raley is the National Security Anti-Terrorism (ATAC) Prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma

A return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged federal crimes, which the government would need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

TULSA, Okla.—United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the September 2018 Federal Grand Jury.

The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in an indictment 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.

Julian Christian Alexander and Hannah Jane Shepherd. Drug Conspiracy; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin. Alexander, 26, and Shepherd, 27, both of Broken Arrow, are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. If convicted, they face a minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for each charge. The Broken Arrow Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are the investigative agencies.

Christopher Lee Andersen. Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute; Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime. Anderson, 36, of Vinita, is charged with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute charge, and a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime charge.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Miami Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Adam Gallardo Arredondo. Illegal Remuneration for Health Care Referrals; False Statements Relating to Health Care Matters. Arredondo, 56, of Waxahachie, Texas, is charged with soliciting and receiving checks in exchange for referring compounding prescriptions paid for by federal programs. Compounding prescriptions are the result of combining or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient, and are not FDA approved. He is also charged with giving false statements in connection with a health care scheme. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine for the illegal remuneration for health care referrals charge, and a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the false statements relating to health care matters charge. The United States Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are the investigative agencies.

Richard C. Cole. Possession of an Unregistered Destructive Device. Cole, 35, formerly of Afton, is charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies.

Aaron John Culkins. Possession of Heroin With Intent to Distribute; Felon in Possession of Ammunition. Culkins, 42, of Tulsa, is charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin and with being a felon in possession of ammunition, which exceeded 300 rounds of varying ammunition.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for the possession of heroin with intent to distribute charge, and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine for the felon in possession of ammunition charge. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies.

Juan Herrera. Reentry of Removed Alien. Herrerra, 42, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported on February 3, 2015 from El Paso, Texas. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.

Zachary Wayne Newberry. Sexual Exploitation of a Child. Newberry, 24, of Claremore, is charged with inducing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency.

Christopher Douglas Parrish.  Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Parrish is charged with being a felon possession of a Lorcin, Model L380, .380 caliber pistol and .380 caliber ammunition. If convicted, he faces the maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies.

Ramiro Ramirez-Onate. Reentry of Removed Alien. Ramirez-Onate, 35, of Owasso, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported on January 15, 2016, from Hidalgo, Texas. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.

Johnny Slaughter. Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. Slaughter, 46, of Granite, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Taurus, Model PT 24/7 Pro, .46 ACP caliber pistol and .45 auto caliber ammunition. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is the investigative agency.

Christopher Virgil Sumrall. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Sumrall, 47, of Tulsa, is charged with failure to register as a sex offender. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The U.S. Marshals Service and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Mikki Lashea Vanhorn. Theft in Excess of $1,000 Within Indian Country. Vanhorn, 27, of Tulsa, is charged with stealing more than $1,000 from a Cherokee-owned business, where she was an employee. If convicted, she faces the maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service is the investigative agency.

Treveon Montrell Vaughn. Obstruct, Delay, and Affect Commerce by Robbery; Carry, Use, and Brandish a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Vaughn, 27, of Tulsa, is charged with robbery impacting interstate commerce, and with brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted, Vaughn faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the charge of obstruction, delay, and affecting commerce by robbery.  He also faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a fine of $250,000 for each carry, use, and brandish a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence charge. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Misty Dawn Weathers and Sarah Jane Garland. Sex Trafficking of a Child; Sexual Exploitation of a Child; Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Weathers, 36, and Garland, 24, both currently in the custody of the Department of Corrections, are charged with recruiting minors, between the ages of 14 and 18, for the purpose of engaging in prostitution, and with sexual exploitation of a minor for the purpose of producing visual depictions. Weathers is further charged with possessing with intent to view the visual depictions which involved a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. If convicted, they could face a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the sex trafficking of a child charge, and a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the charge of sexual exploitation of a child. The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency.

Randall G. Whalen. Attempted Arson; Interstate Transportation in Aid of Racketeering Enterprise.  Whalen, 47, of Glenpool, was charged with setting fire to the Employees Federal Credit Union located at 1120 W 17th Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  He is also charged with using his cell phone to assist in facilitating arson, namely to research the area around the bank before setting the fire. If convicted, he will face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the arson charge, and a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for the interstate transportation in aid of racketeering enterprise charge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives is the investigative agency.

TULSA, Okla.–Robert Patrick King, 39, of Suffolk, Virginia, pleaded guilty Friday to sexual exploitation of a child, announced United States Attorney Trent Shores.

King admitted that in the summer of 2017, in Yokosuka, Japan, he took sexually explicit photographs of a 5-year-old girl after coercing her to take a bath at his home. At the time, King was the spouse of a U.S. Navy service member. Investigators also discovered similar photographs of other victims taken in Virginia, where he lived prior to his move to Japan.

This case was prosecuted under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, which allows for civilians accompanying the military outside the United States to be prosecuted for violations of federal law.

“We will to do everything in our power to identify child victims and provide them the justice they deserve,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “The defendant’s exploitation of a 5-year-old was and is reprehensible. Every day he is in prison is a day children are safer.”

As part of the plea agreement, King and the United States agreed to a sentence of 20 years imprisonment, payment of victim restitution, and forfeiture of computer devices used in the crime.

A formal sentencing date has been set before U.S. District Court Judge Claire V. Eagan on December 7, 2018.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.  Internet safety education can be found on the tab labeled "resources” on the left columns of the page.

The case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar prosecuted the case.

TULSA, Okla. — United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Stephanie Louise Montgomery pleaded guilty Thursday to providing False Information about Bombs in Schools, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.

As part of the plea agreement, Montgomery will pay restitution totaling approximately $12,000 to law enforcement agencies and first responders, including the Claremore Police and Fire Departments, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, for costs incurred when responding to and investigating the false threat. 

On March 27, 2018, Montgomery made a threatening phone call to Claremore High School, indicating there were five bombs in backpacks at the high school and ten more bombs located at elementary schools. Students and staff from all Claremore schools were evacuated or sheltered in place until being transported to alternate safe locations. Law enforcement performed sweeps of the seven area schools but found no explosive devices. The threat followed shortly after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School mass shooting in Parkland, Florida.

“Our schools should be safe havens for students and teachers, not places where they feel threatened. People like Montgomery exploit school shooting tragedies and the resulting fear in communities. Their threats create undo anxiety in our children and worry among parents. Hoax threats cause the use of significant law enforcement resources. We take every school threat with the utmost seriousness and will respond accordingly,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

Montgomery’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 11, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. Chief Judge Gregory K. Frizzell presided over the case in U.S. District Court, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley prosecuted the case. AUSA Raley is the National Security Anti-Terrorism (ATAC) Prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma.

Investigative agencies handling in the incident include the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Rogers County Sheriff’s Department, the Rogers County District Attorney’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad, the Claremore Police Department, and the Tulsa Police Department. 

TULSA, Okla. — United States District Court Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Tracy Allen Crawford, 32, of Tulsa, Wednesday, to a term of 30 years imprisonment for robbing a local fast food restaurant.

On June 5, 2018, Crawford pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.

Crawford and another individual stole $900 from a Burger King located at 3242 E. 11th Street, on February 13, 2017. He pointed a hand gun at one of the employees and demanded she open the safe.  When the employee could not open the safe, Crawford was directed to an office that contained cash register drawers. Crawford and the other individual took the money from the drawers before leaving. 

The court further ordered Crawford to pay more than $19,000 in restitution, in part, to Burger King. As part of a plea agreement, Crawford will also pay a portion of the restitution to local establishments he admitted to robbing between February and May 2017, including No. 1 Kitchen, Family Dollar, and Cash America Pawn.

 “Any gun crime means hard time. Federal prosecutors and law enforcement agencies are together focused on combatting violent crime in Tulsa. In close partnership with the Tulsa Police Department, we will make this community safer,” said U.S. Attorney Shores.

The United States Attorney’s Office consistently works to improve collaboration between federal and local law enforcement in order to help identify cases that can be prosecuted in federal courts. Through Project Safe Neighborhoods and the Public Safety Partnership initiatives, U.S. Attorney Shores hopes to bring more resources, best practices, and enforcement strategies to northeastern Oklahoma to help reduce violent crime. 

This prosecution resulted from an investigation by the Tulsa Police Department Robbery Unit and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis A. Fries prosecuted the case.

TULSA, Okla.— United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Dannie Dee Dill, 47, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty in United States District Court this morning to participating in a methamphetamine and heroin distribution conspiracy and to possession of methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute.

Law enforcement previously identified Dill as a “Top Ten” suspect of Operation Alpha, a Project Safe Neighborhoods’ initiative targeting Northern Oklahoma’s most dangerous criminals, which began in mid-April 2018.

Dill also pleaded guilty to Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime and Destruction or Removal of Property to Prevent Seizure. As part of the plea agreement, Dill and the United States agreed to a sentence of 120 months in prison, criminal forfeiture in the amount of $8,500, and forfeiture of a Glock handgun and associated ammunition.

From approximately August 2017 to April 2018, Dill participated in a scheme to distribute illegal narcotics, including heroin and methamphetamine, in the greater Tulsa area. As part of the scheme, Dill stored narcotics and drug proceeds at two different locations, one in Broken Arrow and one in Tulsa.  His narcotics source of supply sent illegal drug shipments for distribution from outside of the state of Oklahoma to the Broken Arrow location. To further his drug trafficking activities, Dill stored a loaded Glock handgun in the Broken Arrow home. Later, in April 2018, Dill removed drug proceeds totaling $15,000 in cash from his coconspirator’s house in an effort to prevent law enforcement from finding the money in a search. 

“This is just one of more than 35 federal cases resulting from phase one of Operation Alpha. Alpha criminals are generally the most violent, aggressive, and problematic of the criminal world. We must continue to stop them so all of our neighborhoods can thrive,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “I am proud of the dedication and cooperation shown by local, county, and state law enforcement officers, as well as our Assistant U.S. Attorneys, in catching and prosecuting criminals like Dannie Dill.”

Phase One of the Operation Alpha initiative utilized crime mapping technology to target areas with high rates of crime and focused on the area surrounding 21st Street and Garnett Road in Tulsa.  Phase one operations took place from mid-April through mid-June 2018 and resulted in 174 felony arrests and seizure of 106 firearms.

Several law enforcement agencies were involved in a coordinated effort to bring Dill into custody in connection with the crime, including the Tulsa Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel-lyn A. McCormick and Thomas E. Duncombe prosecuted the case.

TULSA, Okla.— United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Devon Deshon Thomas, 23, of Tulsa, pleaded guilty Tuesday to robbery of a Broken Arrow QuikTrip using coercion through force and fear. 

The United States prosecuted Thomas under the Hobbs Act, which specifically targets violent criminals who negatively impact interstate commerce in any way. Thomas entered the plea to the entire indictment and is scheduled for sentencing on December 5, 2018.

Thomas admitted to robbing a Broken Arrow QuikTrip, located at 3502 West Kenosha Street, on May 30, 2018.  Shortly after 3:30 a.m., two masked subjects brandishing what appeared to be firearms forced the QuikTrip attendant to open the cash register.  The two stole nearly $300, then fled from the store in a four-door sedan with a damaged front-end. 

U.S. Attorney Trent Shores stated, “In a collaborative effort to keep our communities safe, my office will consistently prosecute violent offenders as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative, a program reenergized last year due to its success in curbing violent crime. My office continues to work closely with law enforcement in the Northern District of Oklahoma to bring these criminals to justice.” 

Through the course of the investigation, the Broken Arrow Police Department, in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, linked Thomas to the vehicle used in the crime and identified him as one of the two subjects involved. Investigators then executed a search warrant and discovered two black air-propelled handguns that resembled actual firearms, as well as the clothes and mask matching descriptions previously provided to police. The two suspects were further implicated in surveillance video from a nearby Wal-Mart, where they could be seen shoplifting the air-propelled handguns shortly before the crime.

This prosecution was part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative and resulted from a joint investigation conducted by the Broken Arrow Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Marshals Service.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan M. Roberts prosecuted the case.

TULSA, Okla.— United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that Mark Nicholas Jones, 37, of Sapulpa, pleaded guilty in federal court this morning to Bank Robbery and Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence.

On July 6, 2018, Jones entered Commerce Bank, located at 2054 Utica Square in Tulsa, wearing a mask and brandishing a 9 mm pistol. He demanded money from a teller and threatened to shoot customers discovered using cellphones. Jones then ordered the teller at gunpoint to fill a backpack with cash before fleeing the bank in an SUV. Tulsa Police officers later located Jones driving the same SUV in Tulsa, but he refused to stop for the officers. Jones then led police on an hour-long high speed chase before the Oklahoma Highway Patrol used a “Tactical Vehicle Intervention” maneuver to disable Jones’ vehicle. At the time of arrest, officers discovered the pistol and mask used in the crime, as well as the $2,379 in cash stolen from the bank.

As part of the plea agreement, Jones and the Government agreed to a sentence of 90 months in prison, restitution to the bank, and forfeiture of the weapon used in the crime.

United State Attorney Trent Shores stated, “Mr. Jones’ criminal actions on July 6 endangered the lives of bank employees and customers. He further endangered lives by leading law enforcement officers on a high speed chase. Criminals who put innocent Oklahomans at risk will be held responsible in a court of law.”

Several law enforcement agencies were involved in a coordinated effort to bring Jones into custody in connection to the crime, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher J. Nassar prosecuted the case.

TULSA, Okla.— Richard C. Cole, 36, of Joplin, Missouri, was charged today by way of criminal complaint with possession of an unregistered destructive device discovered at a residence in Afton, Oklahoma, from which he was recently evicted.

According to the Complaint affidavit, on August 25, Delaware County Sheriff’s deputies were called to 27950 South Highway 25, Unit 27-1, in Afton, OK, when a landlord discovered a suspected improvised explosive device.  The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad was contacted, and upon arrival, they observed two, one pound canisters of what appeared to be “mixed Tannerite,” two boxes of ammunition, along with the explosive device in an ammunition container.

United States Attorney Trent Shores stated, “I am thankful no one was injured by the pipe bomb. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol Bomb Squad and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office are to be commended for quickly handling the situation in order to protect the public and render this destructive device safe.”

Agencies involved in the investigation and arrest included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case.  AUSA Raley is the National Security Anti-Terrorism (ATAC) Prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Oklahoma

A Complaint is a set of allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

TULSA, Okla. – United States Attorney Trent Shores and Cherokee Nation Attorney General Todd Hembree joined together to voice their support for a Department of Justice and U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proposal for a reduction of controlled substances that may be manufactured in the United States next year. Consistent with President Trump’s “Safe Prescribing Plan” that seeks to “cut nationwide opioid prescription fills by one-third within three years,” the proposal decreases manufacturing quotas for the most six frequently misused opioids for 2019 by an average ten percent as compared to the 2018 amount. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) marks the third straight year of proposed reductions, which help reduce the amount of drugs potentially diverted for trafficking and used to facilitate addiction.

On July 11, 2018, the Justice Department announced that DEA was issuing a final rule amending its regulations to improve the agency’s ability to consider the likelihood of whether a drug can be diverted for abuse when it sets annual opioid production limits. The final rule also promotes greater involvement from state attorneys general, and today’s proposed reduction will be sent to those offices.

In setting the aggregate production quote (APQ), DEA considers data from many sources, including estimates of the legitimate medical need from the Food and Drug Administration; estimates of retail consumption based on prescriptions dispensed; manufacturers’ disposition history and forecasts; data from DEA’s own internal system for tracking controlled substance transactions; and past quota histories.

The DEA has proposed to reduce more commonly prescribed schedule II opioids, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxymorphone, hydromorphone, morphine, and fentanyl:

Ultimately, revised limits will encourage vigilance on the part of opioid manufacturers, help DEA respond to the changing drug threat environment, and protect the American people from potential addictive drugs while ensuring that the country has enough opioids for legitimate medical, scientific, research, and industrial needs.

Tribal communities throughout the United States have also been impacted by the deadly opioid epidemic. The Cherokee Nation is a federally recognized Indian tribe located in northeast Oklahoma and is one of the largest Indian tribes in the United States. Cherokee officials have noted that their communities are grappling with the financial and social burdens of the opioid epidemic. On Tuesday, the Cherokee Nation hosted more than 30 United States Attorneys from across the United States who work in federal districts with Indian tribes and tribal land. These U.S. Attorneys comprise the Native American Issues Subcommittee (NAIS), the longest standing subcommittee of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. The Cherokee Nation Principal Chief and Attorney General spoke to the NAIS about the impact of the opioid epidemic on the Cherokee people, especially as it affects Cherokee children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate at which babies have been born with a drug withdrawal syndrome that can occur because they were exposed to prescription painkillers or heroin in the womb has quadrupled over the course of 15 years in the U.S.

"The opioid epidemic that we are facing today is the worst drug crisis in American history," Attorney General Jeff Sessions said. "President Trump has set the ambitious goal of reducing opioid prescription rates by one-third in three years. We embrace that goal and are resolutely committed to reaching it. According to the National Prescription Audit, we have already made significant progress in reducing prescription rates over the past year. Cutting opioid production quotas by an average of ten percent next year will help us continue that progress and make it harder to divert these drugs for abuse. The American people can be confident that federal law enforcement and the Trump administration are taking action to protect them from dangerous drugs.  These smarter limits bring us one big step closer to President Trump's goal of finally ending this unprecedented crisis. I congratulate Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon and his team for taking action.”

United States Attorney Shores stated, “Drugs are killing more Oklahomans than ever before. We must work together with our state and tribal partners to combat this overdose epidemic. This social catastrophe is literally killing our younger generations before their time. I am proud to work with the Cherokee Nation to stop the proliferation of these dangerous drugs. I applaud Attorney General Sessions and DEA Acting Adminstrator Dhillon for their leadership to reduce prescription rates.”

“The Cherokee Nation and eastern Oklahoma have been at the epicenter of the opioid epidemic.  This has effected countless families and threatens a generation of Cherokee mothers and children who’ve been exposed to these drugs,” Cherokee Nation Attorney General Todd Hembree said. “I applaud the efforts of United States Attorney Shores in acting in coordination with tribes to end this epidemic. By limiting the amount of opioid drugs that may be manufactured we can begin to curb the flow of such drugs into our tribal communities.”

“We’ve lost too many lives to the opioid epidemic and families and communities suffer tragic consequences every day,” said Acting Administrator Dhillon. “This significant drop in prescriptions by doctors and DEA’s production quota adjustment will continue to reduce the amount of drugs available for illicit diversion and abuse while ensuring that patients will continue to have access to proper medicine.”

Once the aggregate quota is set, DEA allocates individual manufacturing and procurement quotas to those manufacturers that apply for them. DEA may revise a company’s quota at any time during the year if change is warranted due to increased or decreased sales or exports, new manufacturers entering the market, new product development, or product recalls.

When Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act, the quota system was intended to reduce or eliminate diversion from “legitimate channels of trade” by controlling the quantities of the basic ingredients needed for the manufacture of controlled substances.

The Proposed Aggregate Production Quotas for schedule I and II controlled substances published in the Federal Register reflects the total amount of controlled substances necessary to meet the country’s medical, scientific, research, industrial, and export needs for the year and for the establishment and maintenance of reserve stocks. DEA establishes an APQ for more than 250 schedule I and II controlled substances annually.

In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to practitioners recommending a reduction in the prescribing of opioid medications for chronic pain. DEA and its federal partners have increased efforts in the last several years to educate practitioners, pharmacists, manufacturers, distributors, and the public about the dangers associated with the misuse of opioid medications and the importance of proper prescribing.

TULSA, Okla.- United States Attorney Trent Shores announced the sentencing of Jennifer Elizabeth Boyce and Christina Ann Dempsey for their participation in a conspiracy to distribute oxycodone resulting in death. Today, United States District Judge John E. Dowdell sentenced Christina Ann Dempsey to eight years imprisonment for her role in supplying 80mg oxycodone pills (Oxy80s) to Boyce, who then sold the Oxy80s to customers for profit.  Yesterday, Judge Dowdell sentenced Boyce to ten years imprisonment for her role in selling the Oxy80s she received from Dempsey to Jennifer Blake McNulty, who subsequently overdosed and died on October 24, 2014.

Both Dempsey and Boyce accepted responsibility, cooperated fully in the federal investigation, and provided sworn testimony against themselves and others before the filing of federal charges.  The third conspirator is Michael Allen Miers, whose case is still pending before Judge Dowdell. 

U.S. Attorney Shores stated, “Attorney General Jeff Sessions directed United States Attorneys to consider every lawful tool at our disposal to combat the deadly opioid epidemic. We have taken that direction to heart by using all available criminal and civil remedies to stop opioid abuse and distribution in the Northern District of Oklahoma. We are pleased with the sentences in these cases. Illegal opioid distributors must be held accountable in courts of law. It is a matter of saving lives.”

In commenting about the extent of the opioid epidemic nationwide, U.S. Attorney Shores recounted the staggering statistics:

• Since 2009, drug overdose deaths have outpaced traffic accidents as the leading cause of injury death in the United States.
• Nearly 64,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2016–more drug related deaths in one year when compared to total number of combat losses during the entire Vietnam War.
• Emergency Department visits for opioid overdoses rose 30% in all parts of the country from July of 2016 through September of 2017.
• Life expectancy in the United States dropped for two years in a row after more than a century of steady progress.
• The number of children admitted to hospitals for opioid overdose has nearly doubled since 2004, according to a study recently published in the journal Pediatrics.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Pryor Police Department, and the Mayes County District Attorney’s Office investigated the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy L. Faerber, the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Brian Surber, the First Assistant District Attorney for Mayes County and a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, prosecuted the case.

U.S. Attorney Shores observed, “Collaborative law enforcement is good law enforcement. I want to express my deep appreciation and profound thanks to all the women and men of law enforcement–federal, state, and local–for working together on this investigation. The Mayes County District Attorney’s Office has also been a great partner. The work they did on this case was essential.”

TULSA, Okla.— United States Attorney Trent Shores announced that a federal Grand Jury indicted 22 people for their roles in drug trafficking and money laundering operations that included the use of Casa Herrera, a local money remitter business.

The two Indictments charged Alfredo Herrera, 73, of Bartlesville, Domingo Aguirre, 60, of Tulsa, and Javier Passement, 53, of Tulsa, with violating federal money laundering and drug conspiracy statutes. Herrera is the owner and operator of Casa Herrera. Aguirre and Passement worked as employees of Casa Herrera. The Grand Jury also indicted Pedro Perez, Jr., 65, of Broken Arrow, who owns and operates Servicios Perez, another local money remitter business alleged to have laundered drug proceeds to a Mexican source of supply. The Indictments allege that these money remitter businesses distributed large quantities of methamphetamine throughout Tulsa and surrounding areas.  According to the Indictments, drug proceeds would be transmitted by wire transfer to a Mexican source of supply using “nominee names.”  A “nominee name” is used to hide the true recipient of the money.

United States Attorney Shores stated, “Drug abuse in our country is an epidemic. We must dismantle the criminal organizations bringing drugs into our communities. This Indictment is a step toward disrupting the flow of methamphetamine from Mexican sources of supply into Tulsa. Methamphetamine has inflicted too much damage on Oklahomans. My office will seek to hold these drug dealers accountable in a federal court.”

These Indictments are the result of a joint investigation involving the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and Tulsa Police Department.

“The Drug Enforcement Administration appreciates the extensive collaborative effort of our local, state, and federal partners that resulted in the successful federal indictment

of 22 defendants in this multi-jurisdictional case which targeted a Mexico-based methamphetamine distribution organization with direct ties to Mexican Cartel sources. The dismantlement of this drug trafficking organization represents yet another outstanding example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement resources at all levels are combined and focused on a common goal,” said Richard W. Salter Jr., Assistant Special Agent in Charge DEA – Oklahoma.

Kathryn Peterson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI-Oklahoma City Division, further stated, “The Federal Bureau of Investigation remains committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to protect the citizens of Oklahoma against organized crime and criminal actors whose illegal activities threaten the stability of the communities we serve.”

Chief Chuck Jordan of the Tulsa Police Department said, “The Tulsa Police Department will continue to protect its citizens from these violent drug cartel organizations operating in Tulsa by working in partnership with all of our federal law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office on cases such as this. The men and women of the Special Investigations Division, especially, contributed a lot of time and hard work towards this case and I’m proud of their efforts.”

The cases will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick. AUSA McCormick serves as the lead attorney for the United States Attorney’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.

An Indictment is a formal statement of charges or alleged violations of law. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

District Judge Claire V. Eagan sentenced Larry O. Douglas, Jr., 45, of Tulsa, to 252 months in prison followed by 60 months of supervised release for Continuing Criminal Enterprise and Conspiracy to Carry, Brandish, and Use a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Douglas must also pay a special monetary assessment of $200.00.

Douglas was convicted of the federal drug “Kingpin” statute which is reserved for the most serious drug violators.  Beginning as early as September 2012, and continuing through March 11, 2018, Douglas was the leader of a criminal enterprise and conspiracy which involved using and maintaining a facility in which to possess, distribute and manufacture “crack” cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.  Douglas also used physical force and firearms to intimidate and threaten witnesses to prevent them from communicating to law enforcement of his commission of federal crimes.

United States Attorney Shores stated, “Drug trafficking and violent crimes are tearing away at the fabric of our society. Kingpins like Larry Douglas can wreck communities. Drug organizations destroy families by facilitating substance abuse and addiction problems. Larry Douglas sold methamphetamine, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and marijuana in northeastern Oklahoma. His organization utilized fear and violence as tools of the trade. We are all safer with Larry Douglas in federal prison. I am thankful to the collaborative efforts of the Oklahoma and Kansas investigators as well as the FBI who joined forces to take down this criminal enterprise.”

This prosecution was part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods and resulted from a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tulsa Police Department.  United States Attorney Trent Shores and Assistant United States Attorneys Allen J. Litchfield and Eric O. Johnston handled the prosecution of this case.

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment against John Terry Chatman, Jr., 34, of Tulsa, charging him with Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, Obstruction of Justice by Attempting to Kill a Witness, and Carrying, Using, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.

The indictment alleges that Chatman possessed a 32 caliber revolver and ammunition after prior felony convictions, attempted to kill a Tulsa police officer, and carried and discharged a firearm during a crime of violence.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge; a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the obstruction of justice by attempting to kill a witness charge; and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine for the carrying, using, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence charge. 

United States Attorney Shores stated, “This indictment alleges that John Terry Chatman violated federal laws when he shot and wounded a Tulsa police officer with a firearm that he illegally possessed. We will seek to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and hold him accountable in a court of law. Like any other shooting victim of a felon with an illegal gun, the wounded police officer in this case deserves justice.”

United States Attorney Trent Shores represents the United States as lead prosecutor in this matter. The case was investigated by the The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department.

The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged federal crimes which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Adam Gallardo Arrendondo, 56, of Waxahachie, Texas, charging him with Illegal Remuneration for Health Care Referrals.

The indictment alleges that Arrendondo solicited and received checks in exchange for referring compounding prescriptions paid for by federal programs. Compounding prescriptions are the result of combining or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient that are not FDA approved. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. 

United States Attorney Shores stated, “Illegal payment for health care referrals undermines the integrity of our health care system.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office will bring to justice those who engage in health care fraud by exploiting programs that provide care for millions of Americans.”

Assistant United States Attorney Melody N. Nelson represents the United States as lead prosecutor in this matter. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General.

The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged federal crimes which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the August  2018 Federal Grand Jury.

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.

Adam Gallardo Arrendondo.  Illegal Remuneration for Health Care Referrals. Arrendondo, 56, of Waxahachie, Texas, is charged with soliciting and receiving checks in exchange for referring compounding prescriptions paid for by federal programs. Compounding prescriptions are the result of combining or altering ingredients to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient, and are not FDA approved. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Health and Human Services-Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service, and the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General are the investigative agencies.

John Terry Chatman, Jr.  Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Obstruction of Justice by Attempting to Kill a Witness; Carrying, Using, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Chatman, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a 32 caliber revolver and ammunition after prior felony convictions, attempting to kill a Tulsa police officer, and carrying and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition charge; a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the obstruction of justice by attempting to kill a witness charge; and a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine for the carrying, using, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence charge.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Darowe Junior Jones.  Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition; Drug Conspiracy;  Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana; Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Maintain Drug Involved Premises; Destruction or Removal of Property to Prevent Seizure.  Jones, 38, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing two 9mm pistols and ammunition after prior felony convictions; possessing a pistol to further a drug trafficking crime; conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; maintaining a place to store and distribute drugs; and removing drug proceeds from a residence to prevent them from being seized.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felon in possession of firearm and ammunition charges; a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the drug conspiracy charges; a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine charge; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for the possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine charges; a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the possession with intent to distribute marijuana charges; a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime charge; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for the maintaining drug involved premises charges; and a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the destruction and removal of property to prevent seizure charge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Dannie Dee Dill.  Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition; Drug Conspiracy;  Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; Possession of Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime; Maintain Drug Involved Premises; Destruction or Removal of Property to Prevent Seizure.  Dill, 47, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a 9 x 19 caliber pistol and ammunition after prior felony convictions; possessing a pistol to further a drug trafficking crime; conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine and heroin; maintaining a place to store and distribute drugs; and removing drug proceeds from a residence to prevent them from being seized.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the felon in possession of firearm and ammunition charge; a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the drug conspiracy charges; a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine charges; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for the possession with intent to distribute heroin charge; a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime charge; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for the maintaining drug involved premises charges; and a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the destruction and removal of property to prevent seizure charge. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Cynthia Santagata.  Drug Conspiracy;  Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana; Maintain Drug Involved Premises.  Santagata, 32, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana; and maintaining a place to store and distribute drugs. If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the drug conspiracy charges; a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine charge; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for the possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine charges; a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the possession with intent to distribute marijuana charges; and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for the maintaining drug involved premises charges. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Cherie Michelle Kelley.  Drug Conspiracy;  Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin; Maintain Drug Involved Premises.  Kelley, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine and heroin and maintaining a place to store and distribute drugs.  If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the drug conspiracy charges; a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine charges; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine for the possession with intent to distribute heroin charge; a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for the maintaining drug involved premises charges. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Juan Martinez-Lopez.  Reentry of Removed Alien. Martinez-Lopez, 29, of Tulsa, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported in March 2018 from Hidalgo, Texas.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.

Jose Reyes-Palos.  Reentry of Removed Alien. Reyes-Palos, 27, of Tulsa, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported in January 2016 from Del Rio, Texas.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.

District Judge John E. Dowdell sentenced Jeffrey Ray Townsend, 52, of Collinsville, to 30 months in prison followed by 5 years supervised release.  He will also have to register as a Sex Offender. The Court also imposed a mandatory Special Assessment of $5,100.  Townsend pleaded guilty on May 8, 2018, to one count of accessing with intent to view child pornography.

On December 2, 2015, Townsend accessed a video conferencing website and entered a specific room known to stream child pornography.  Townsend streamed two videos containing child pornography involving boys and girls approximately 12 to 14 years old.

United States Attorney Shores stated, “Streaming sexually explicit material involving children further perpetuates the victimization of our most vulnerable citizens.  It is the priority of my office to vigorously prosecute those who choose to take advantage of our children.”

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The charges are the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey A. Gallant handled the prosecution of this case.

United States Attorney R. Trent Shores announced today that Justin Lee Boyer, 32, of Sapulpa pleaded guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child before District Judge Claire V. Eagan.

Boyer admitted that in October of 2017, he persuaded and enticed a 10 year old girl, living outside the state of Oklahoma, to text him sexually explicit pictures of herself.  Boyer will be sentenced on November 8, 2018.  He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years, up to a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  Following prison, he faces a term of supervised release of at least 5 years.

“We will aggressively prosecute sexual predators who victimize our children through child pornography. I am proud of our law enforcement partners who work tirelessly to stop child exploitation,” said United States Attorney Shores.

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 United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The charges are a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado, the Creek County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sapulpa Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey A. Gallant and Shannon B. Cozzoni handled the prosecution of this case.

U.S. Attorney Trent Shores announced today that a jury found Skylor Ramazani Norman, 24, of Broken Arrow, guilty of Enticement of a Minor.  The jury determined that, on February 19, 2018, a 12-year-old girl had dinner at a restaurant with her mother, where Norman worked.  Norman gave the 12-year-old girl his telephone number when she went to the restroom.  She did not have a cell phone, so she downloaded an app called TextNow on her iPad and began communicating with Norman.  Norman asked to be in a relationship with her and referred to her as his girlfriend. They expressed their love for each other on multiple occasions.  After the text exchanges, they agreed to meet at Norman’s house, where they had sexual intercourse.  The 12-year-old girl snuck out of her mother’s house, walking five miles each way, and spent two nights at Norman’s house. When the 12-year-old girl’s mother discovered her daughter was not at home, fearing she had been kidnapped, her mother called the police.  Norman denied knowing she was only 12. 

U.S. Attorney Shores stated, “Child predators are a cancer upon society and we will do everything we can to remove them.  The United States Attorney’s Office stands strong with child victims and we will ensure their voices are heard in the courtroom.  We are pleased with this result.”

District Judge Claire V. Eagan of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma presided over the trial and will sentence Norman on October 18, 2018.  Norman faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and at least 5 years supervised release for the conviction.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, 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.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Broken Arrow Police Department.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey A. Gallant and Victor A.S. Régal.  U.S. Attorney Shores said, “I commend Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Gallant and Victor Régal for their professional prosecution of this matter, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Broken Arrow Police Department for their outstanding investigative work.  I also thank the jury for their service and for holding this child predator accountable with a verdict of guilty.” 

U.S. Attorney Trent Shores announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office and the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office collected full restitution of $207,590.01 owed by former Skiatook School Superintendent Gary Johnson.  U.S. Attorney Shores stated, “the restitution collected from Gary Johnson was owed for the losses his corruption inflicted on the Skiatook Public Schools.”  Johnson was convicted of conspiring to defraud the United States by hiding income he received from bribes and kickbacks.

U.S. Attorney Shores further remarked, “From 2004 to 2010, at a time when public schools were forced to count every dollar, Gary Johnson failed to perform the fiduciary duties he owed the citizens and patrons of the Skiatook Schools.  For his personal benefit, he approved grossly inflated invoices for the procurement of basic supplies, equipment and services.” 

Evidence and documents submitted during the prosecution show Johnson approved the payments of invoices at prices that were as much as 400% inflated above the fair market value.  In exchange, Johnson corruptly accepted things of value, including cash, tickets to college football games, and the costs for travel, food, lodging, and entertainment. 

U.S. Attorney Trent Shores and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Wilson prosecuted the case.  U. S. Attorney Shores thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Depew and the dedicated federal law enforcement agents of the Department of Justice Asset Recovery program who recover assets for the benefit of the people harmed by acts of corruption and abuse of office. 

U.S. Attorney Trent Shores announced today that a jury found Randy Alan Hamett, 61, of Choctaw, guilty of Kidnapping, Possessing and Receiving Stolen Firearm and Ammunition, and Possession of Firearms and Ammunition While Subject to a Domestic Violence Protective Order.  The jury determined that, on April 25, 2017, Hamett parked his truck at a nearby Wal-Mart and walked to the victim’s house in Broken Arrow.  He cut a hole in an outside wall of the victim’s house to avoid her home alarm system.  When the victim arrived home from work, Hamett tased her and pointed a revolver at her.  After zip-tying her wrists and duct taping her ankles, Hamett threatened to kill himself, the victim, and anyone who tried to help her.  Hamett forced the victim into a car, stole from her a pistol she had purchased after obtaining a protective order against him, then kidnapped her.  Hamett also sexually assaulted her.

Convinced that Hamett was going to kill her, the victim made every effort to prolong the trip and endear herself to Hamett.  As part of her attempt to accomplish that, the victim convinced Hamett they should get back together and remarry in Arkansas, where they were originally married.  Hamett eventually allowed the victim to text her parents and her boyfriend so they would not become suspicious concerning her whereabouts.  Based on the nature of the text, the victim’s parents became worried that she was in danger and contacted the Broken Arrow Police Department.  Through a concerted investigation by the Broken Arrow and Siloam Springs Police Departments, officers were able to locate Hamett and the victim at a hotel in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, where they determined Hamett was holding the victim against her will and arrested Hamett for violation of a protective order.  Hamett was in possession of a firearm and ammunition, along with Taser cartridges, at the time of his arrest.

U.S. Attorney Shores stated, “Mr. Hamett’s violent actions were reprehensible.  This United States Attorney’s Office is focused on prosecuting violent criminals.  And that’s what we will continue to do.  I am proud of the Assistant United States Attorneys, as well as the state and federal investigators, who worked tirelessly to prepare and try the case.”

District Judge Claire V. Eagan of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Oklahoma presided over the trial and will sentence Hamett on October 26, 2018.  Hamett faces a maximum penalty life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years supervised release for the kidnapping conviction. Hammett also faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years supervised release on the convictions for possessing and receiving a stolen firearm and ammunition, and for possessing firearms and ammunition while subject to a domestic violence protective order. 

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Broken Arrow Police Department, the Siloam Springs Police Department, and the Rogers State University Police.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey A. Gallant and Ryan M. Roberts.

United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Trent Shores, announced his office’s participation in Operation Big Delivery, a week long interdiction of illegal drugs, spearheaded by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics. The United States Attorney’s Office worked with the United States Postal Inspector, the Tulsa Police Department, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and the Drug Enforcement Agency by interdicting packages containing illegal narcotics that had been shipped via the United States Postal Service. The interdiction of six packages, all shipped from California, yielded 57 pounds of hydroponic marijuana, 15.5 pounds of THC wax, 48 THC vape cartridges, and two pounds of methamphetamine. Five arrests were made and an additional nine charges are pending.

United States Attorney Shores stated, “The United States Postal Service is not a conduit for illegal drug trafficking and we will enforce the unlawful use of the U.S. mails. This interdiction was a great example of federal, state, and local officers working together to enforce both federal and state law.”

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the July 2018 Federal Grand Jury.

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.

Melvin Louis Bailey, III.  Obstruct, Delay, and Affect Commerce by Robbery; Carry, Use, and Brandish a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence; Hobbs Act Conspiracy.  Bailey, 25, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring with a juvenile to rob and robbing Walgreens by threatening employees with a shotgun and a handgun.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the obstruct, delay, and affect commerce by robbery charges; a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the carry, use, and brandish a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence charges; and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the Hobbs Act conspiracy charge.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

James Wesley Barnes.  Sexual Exploitation of a Child; Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute.  Barnes, 70, of Tulsa, is charged with coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct and possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the sexual exploitation of a child charge; and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine for the possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute charge.  The Tulsa Police Department is the investigative agency.

Jerry Matthew Berry. Production of Obscene Visual Representations of the Sexual Abuse of Children; Distribution of Child Pornography; Receipt of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography.  Berry, 34, of Tulsa, is charged with producing, distributing, receiving and possessing graphic image files and video files of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each charge.  Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Seth Jacob Bruss.  Simple Possession of Marijuana.  Bruss, 29, of Tulsa, is charged with 2 counts of possessing marijuana.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.  The United States Probation Office is the investigative agency.

Rickie Dean Cole.  Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition.  Cole, 49, of Slick, is charged with possessing a 9mm pistol, a 12-gauge shotgun and ammunition after prior felony convictions.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and the Bristow Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Tate Lorenzo Dixon.  Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.  Dixon, 24, of Locust Grove, is charged with failing to register as a sex offender.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The United States Marshal Service is the investigative agency.

Christopher Allen Hayes.  Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.  Hayes, 28, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a 9mm pistol and ammunition after prior felony convictions.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Mark Nicholas Jones.  Bank Robbery With a Dangerous Weapon; Use, Carry and Brandish a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence.  Jones, 36, of Sapulpa, is charged with robbing Commerce Bank with a 9mm pistol.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the bank robbery with a dangerous weapon charge; and a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of 7 consecutive years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the use, carry and brandish a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence charge.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Tulsa Police Department and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies.

Jerald Michael Scott Newell.  Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.  Newell, 25, of Sand Springs, is charged with possessing a .380 automatic pistol and ammunition after prior felony convictions. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies.

Victor Nunez-Alvarado.  Reentry of Removed Alien.  Nunez-Alvarado, 22, address unknown, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported in June 2017 from Laredo, Texas.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.

Jose Peregrina.  Reentry of Removed Alien.  Peregrina, 43, of Tulsa, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported in January 2012 from Brownsville, Texas.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Humberto Toledo-Munoz.  Reentry of Removed Alien.  Toledo-Munoz, 35, of Tulsa, is charged with having returned to the United States unlawfully after being deported in November 2014 from Del Rio, Texas.  If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.  The United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the investigative agency.

Misty Dawn Weathers.  Sex Trafficking of a Child; Sexual Exploitation of a Child;

Possession of Certain Material Involving The Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.  Weathers, 36, address unknown, is charged with causing a minor to engage in commercial sex acts, coercing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions, and possession with intent to view the visual depictions.  If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine for the sex trafficking of a child charge; a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the sexual exploitation of a child charge; and a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the possession of certain material involving the sexual exploitation of a minor charge.  The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies.

U.S. Attorney R. Trent Shores announced today that BOLUTIFE OLUSEGUN OLORUNDA, 29, of Vancouver, Washington, pleaded guilty to Assault Within Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction before U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank H. McCarthy.

On May 30, 2018, while on an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, specifically a Delta Air Lines flight 1156, in route from Portland, Oregon, to Atlanta, Georgia, OLORUNDA verbally assaulted and interfered with a flight attendant on the aircraft such that the pilot and Captain of the aircraft declared an “emergency” and diverted the aircraft to Tulsa International Airport (TIA) for an emergency landing. 

“Airline passengers must follow the instructions of flight staff. If they do not, there are consequences. Mr. Olorunda learned that those consequences can include diversion of a commercial flight and federal prosecution. The defendant will be reimbursing the airline for the cost of diverting that flight,” United States Attorney Shores said. “I commend the quick thinking and decision making by the flight crew and Federal Air Marshals. Their actions should inspire confidence in the safety and security of commercial air travel in America.”

A sentencing date has yet to be determined.

OLORUNDA is facing a maximum term of imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to $5,000 and one year supervised release. Further, and as part of his Plea Agreement, OLORUNDA will have to pay restitution to Delta Air Lines in the amount of $9,118 for the cost to the airline for the diverted emergency landing.  Additionally, OLORUNDA could face a civil penalty and fine from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

The case was investigated by Agents with the TSA Office of Law Enforcement, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Tulsa Airport Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Robert T. Raley handled the prosecution of this case.