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Bartlesville Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Killing Dewey Couple

Source: US FBI

TULSA, Okla. – U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Lucas Anthony Walker, 22, for two counts of Second Degree Murder in Indian County. Judge Russell ordered Walked to serve 420 months for each count, followed by five years of supervised release.

In January 2023, Washington County Sheriff’s deputies began investigating the disappearance of Deborah and Larry Dutton. After searching the Dutton’s home, deputies found Deborah and Larry deceased in a shallow grave in the backyard. Walker confessed to shooting and stabbing Deborah and stabbing Larry to death.

Walker is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The FBI, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O. Johnston prosecuted the case.

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Pryor Man Sentenced to Life After Jury Convicts Him of Aggravated and Abusive Child Sexual Abuse

Source: US FBI

TULSA, Okla. – Previously convicted by a jury in July, Adam Joseph King, was sentenced today for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country and Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country.

U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced King, 36, to life imprisonment on both counts.

“King took advantage of a child entrusted in his care and continues to show no remorse for his actions,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The only way to stop someone like King and protect the community is by giving him a lengthy prison sentence.”

“The victim in the case was just eight years old when King began abusing her. Despite the trauma she endured, she found the courage to tell her story in court, and as a result this dangerous predator will now live behind bars where he can never harm another child,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater. “Her resilience is a powerful reminder of why we do this work – to protect the most vulnerable members of our community and hold violent offenders accountable for their crimes.”

Evidence presented to the jury showed that King repeatedly sexually abused his girlfriend’s child from age eight through eleven years old. King exploited the child that was in his care and warned the victim not to tell.

The child victim testified about the sexual abuse she received and eventually reported the abuse to a school counselor. Experts further testified that the evidence collected from King’s bedroom matched the DNA of the child victim.

The investigation showed that King and his girlfriend, the victim’s mother, denied any wrongdoing by King. Once the investigation began, the minor victim and sibling were removed from the home and placed in the custody of their grandparents, where they have remained.

The minor victim is a tribal citizen. King will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The FBI, the Catoosa Police Department, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Valeria Luster and Matthew Cyran prosecuted the case.

If you want to make a report of child sexual exploitation, you can use the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. 

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Two Drug Dealers Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murder of Federal Witness

Source: US FBI

      LITTLE ROCK—Two drug dealers will spend the remainder of their lives in prison after conspiring to cause witness tampering resulting in death. Samuel “Big Hit” Sherman, 38, of Batesville, and Donald Bill Smith, 38, of Malvern, were both sentenced today to life in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Chief District Judge D. P. Marshall, Jr., imposed the sentences.

      Smith and Sherman were indicted in September 2019 in connection with the death of Susan Cooper, who had bought methamphetamine from Sherman but had begun working as an informant for law enforcement. In May 2016, Sherman was arrested and charged with selling methamphetamine to Cooper. As his case progressed, Sherman was released and permitted to work as an informant himself.

      Though Sherman was supposed to be working as an informant, he had not provided enough information to help his case, and in September 2016, Sherman learned he was facing a significant federal prison sentence. Evidence at trial showed that upon learning this, Sherman called Smith, who was a methamphetamine dealer in the Malvern area. Smith had sold drugs to Rachael Cooper, who was Susan Cooper’s sister-in-law (they were married to brothers).

      Cellular tower data presented at trial showed that shortly thereafter, Smith drove from Malvern to Batesville, where Sherman lived, and stayed in Batesville for approximately 40 minutes before returning to Malvern. On the way back to Malvern, Smith called Rachael. Rachael had been communicating with Susan about making arrangements for Susan to trade some hydrocodone pills for methamphetamine. Susan did not know the trade was with Smith.

      That night, Rachael picked Susan up and drove her to meet Smith for the drug exchange. Rachael testified at trial that as they waited, she heard a gunshot followed by Susan crying out “I’m shot—get me out of here!” Rachael jumped in the driver’s seat and saw Smith shoot Susan several more times. Smith pulled Susan from the truck as Rachael sped away.

      For a year and a half, Susan Cooper’s body had not been found. In July 2018, Smith was charged in state court with the murder, and after his arrest, a witness came forward to disclose Smith had demanded he help bury the body. This witness took federal agents to the location of Cooper’s body.

      In September 2021, a jury trial resulted in both Smith and Sherman being convicted of conspiracy to cause witness tampering resulting in death. Smith was also convicted of witness tampering resulting in death, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Smith, in addition to his life sentence, was ordered to serve a 50 year consecutive sentence.

      The case was investigated by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Hot Springs County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anne Gardner and Bart Dickinson.

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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

https://www.justice.gov/edar

Twitter:

@EDARNEWS

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Fort Towson Resident Sentenced for Murder

Source: US FBI

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Thomas Raymond Phillips, III, age 36, of Fort Towson, Oklahoma, was sentenced to a term of life in prison for First Degree Murder in Indian Country.  Phillips was also sentenced to 120 months in prison for one count of Use, Carry, Brandish, and Discharge of a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence.  The sentences are set to be served consecutively.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

On October 25, 2023, Phillips was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury at trial.   According to investigators, on the evening of December 19, 2020, Phillips fired multiple shots into a Fort Towson bar after being ejected by management for instigating a fight.  One bullet struck a patron, killing the victim at the scene.  The crime occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

“The defendant’s malicious and senseless acts stole a life, and the defendant will spend his remaining days in prison paying the price justice demands for his crimes,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.  “I commend county, state, and federal law enforcement for their investigative work and the prosecuting attorneys for presenting the case and advocating for the victim.”

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

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dean Burris and T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.

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Former DEA Supervisory Agent Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison for Accepting Bribes from Drug Kingpin

Source: US FBI

      LITTLE ROCK—A former Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent was sentenced today for accepting bribes from a drug trafficker. Nathan Koen, 45, now of Auburn, Illinois, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.

      Koen was charged by a federal grand jury in November 2019 with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and one count of bribery of a public official. In August 2021, he pleaded guilty to bribery in exchange for dismissal of the drug-related charge.

      During the sentencing hearing, which took place over two days and concluded today, Judge Miller found that Koen accepted bribes from a known, large-scale drug trafficker for the purpose of helping facilitate a drug conspiracy, and that the conspiracy involved at least 15 to 45 kilograms of methamphetamine. The drug trafficker testified during the hearing and explained that he believed Koen provided was providing sensitive, law-enforcement information, which helped the trafficker avoid detection by law enforcement and run his drug organization. The drug trafficker, who is in federal custody, stated that his organization was responsible for distributing kilogram quantities of methamphetamine cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and marijuana.

      “This defendant’s actions are a disgrace to the thousands of dedicated law enforcement officers who work with integrity every day to protect and serve our communities,” stated United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross. “His greed and deception have no place in law enforcement, and we are pleased to see this case come to its rightful conclusion.”

      In 2018, the FBI began investigating Koen, who had been working for DEA since 2002 and had transferred in 2016 to work as a Group Supervisor in the Little Rock DEA office from Jacksonville, Florida. FBI agents interviewed the drug trafficker who told law enforcement he had paid Koen cash for information and protection related to his drug-trafficking activities.

      The drug trafficker told FBI agents he had been in custody on federal drug charges in 2013-2014 when another inmate told him he should contact Koen and offer to work as an informant, which he did. After his case was resolved, the informant resumed distributing large amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and cocaine in Florida, California, Arkansas, and elsewhere, while making payments to Koen for protection. The informant paid approximately $31,500 to Koen before he began cooperating with the FBI.

      The informant began working with FBI, and he agreed to set up a controlled delivery of a bribe payment to Koen. Koen and the informant agreed to meet in Las Vegas on December 3, 2018. FBI agents equipped the informant with $9,000 cash and multiple audio recording devices. Koen and the informant met on the sidewalk across from the Bellagio hotel and walked together to the Paris Las Vegas hotel, where they went inside a bathroom away from casino cameras. Once inside, the informant placed the cash in Koen’s backpack, and they left the hotel, each going in different directions.

      Recordings of the encounter revealed that Koen asked the informant, “Did you make this worth it?” The informant responded, “Come on, man, you know I always make it worth it for you.” Koen responded, “I know.” Koen also advised the informant that he should get rid of all his phones and change his address because he expected a search warrant to be executed at his home soon. Koen was arrested when he returned to Arkansas later that day, and he admitted to accepting bribes from the informant.

      “By protecting a drug trafficking organization and accepting bribes from a drug kingpin, former Group Supervisor Nathan Koen deceived and betrayed his brothers and sisters in the DEA,” FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge James A. Dawson said. “His disgraceful and corrupt conduct only strengthens our resolve to continue attacking corruption at all levels. We’re grateful for the strong, ongoing partnerships we share with both the Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Attorney’s Office.”

      “Today’s sentencing reflects DEA’s commitment to hold accountable any DEA employee who abuses the trust of the American people by violating their oath as a federal law enforcement officer,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Nathan Koen put himself ahead of the principles he swore to protect. I commend our federal law enforcement partners who investigated this case and the U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted it.”

      “Koen turned his back on his duty to protect the public. As a DEA Agent, Koen was tasked with investigating drug traffickers. Instead, he accepted a cash bribe and provided a known drug trafficker with sensitive law enforcement information. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General will continue to investigate those who engage in this kind of conduct,” said Cloey C. Pierce, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Dallas Field Office.

      In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Miller also sentenced Koen to two years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Benecia Moore and Chris Givens.

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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

https://www.justice.gov/edar

Twitter:

@EDARNEWS

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Adair County Resident Sentenced for Felony Assault

Source: US FBI

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cody Wayne Tye, age 34, of Watts, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served plus three years supervised release for one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, and Dating Partner in Indian Country.

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

On March 11, 2024, Tye pleaded guilty to the charge.  According to investigators, on September 18, 2022, Tye assaulted an individual at an apartment in Westville, Oklahoma.  During the attack, Tye wrapped both hands around the victim’s neck and shoved the victim against a wall, strangling the victim and causing bruising and abrasions.  The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Geizura and Edith Singer represented the United States.

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Two Drug Conspiracies Land Little Rock Man in Federal Prison for 18 Years

Source: US FBI

      LITTLE ROCK—A Little Rock man’s involvement in two separate drug conspiracies will end with him spending 18 years in federal prison. Desmond Kelley, aka “Trell,” 28, was sentenced yesterday to 151 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, with that sentence to run consecutive to a 65-month sentence he recently received for being involved in a heroin distribution conspiracy. United States District Judge Brian S. Miller handed down the sentence.

      In May 2017, Kelley was named in a 33-defendant indictment that charged him with conspiracy to distribute heroin, distribution of heroin, and use of a telephone to facilitate a drug trafficking crime. In that case, Kelley worked with Aaron “Black” Clark to distribute heroin in Little Rock. In 2016 and 2017, Clark supplied Kelley with multiple ounces of heroin at a time, which Kelley then resold.

      The FBI arrested Kelley in that case on May 31, 2017, and Kelley was released on pretrial bond on January 30, 2018. At that point, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) developed evidence that Kelley immediately went back to selling drugs, including both heroin and fentanyl, to a new group of people. This time, Kelley was at the top of the 17-defendant conspiracy and supplied significant amounts of fentanyl to multiple people who were also indicted.

      Kelley was then indicted for the second time and arrested by the DEA on October 15, 2019, and this time charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl. The next day, Kelley pleaded guilty conspiracy to distribute between 400-700 grams of heroin in the 2017 case. Kelley received a 65-month sentence from United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr., on October 13, 2020. On February 1, 2021, Kelley pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute between 1.2 and 4 kilograms of fentanyl in the 2019 case.

      In addition to the prison sentence, which totals 216 months combined, Judge Miller sentenced Kelley to five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

      The 2017 case was investigated by the FBI’s Met Rock Task Force, in coordination with the LRPD and NLRPD, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benecia Moore. The 2019 case was investigated by the DEA, in coordination with the LRPD and NLRPD, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Givens.

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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the

United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at

https://www.justice.gov/edar

Twitter:

@EDARNEWS

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Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement During January 6 Capitol Breach

Source: US FBI

            WASHINGTON— An Ohio man was sentenced to prison today after he previously pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement during the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. His actions and the actions of others disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the 2020 presidential election.

            Matthew Honigford, 31, of Delphos, Ohio, was sentenced to 19 months in prison, 24 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,000 in restitution by U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan. Honigford previously pleaded guilty to a felony offense of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers on Feb. 21, 2024.

            According to court documents, Honigford traveled from his home in Ohio to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C., near the Washington Monument. After the rally, Honigford made his way to the Southwest Plaza of the U.S. Capitol building with a large group of rioters. At approximately 2:30 p.m., court documents say that Honigford was positioned at the front of the crowd of rioters that had breached a police line and gained access to a set of stairs on the Southwest Plaza. There, rioters overwhelmed police, causing the officers to retreat. The mob, with Honigford at the front, pursued.

            On the Southwest Plaza, body-worn camera footage shows Honigford holding a flagpole horizontally in front of his body with both hands. He is then seen pushing the flagpole into a Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officer’s chest area, and a struggle ensued. Honigford then advanced with the crowd to the Upper West Terrace of the Capitol. The crowd then assembled on the steps in front of a police line that officers had formed with metal bike racks to act as a barrier against the crowd.

            Court documents say that from approximately 2:44 to 2:46 p.m., Honigford repeatedly touched or attempted to touch several MPD officers in the police line with his hands, stating he was praying for them. When officers asked Honigford to stop, Honigford responded, “How am I supposed to bless you guys?” Honigford continued to reach his hands out toward the officers until other rioters told him to stop, and he turned toward them to say, “I’m trying to f— pray, guys.”

            At about 2:46 p.m., Honigford grabbed a metal bike rack barricade and used his body to push it against the police line. An MPD officer pulled on Honigford’s jacket in an attempt to prevent him from pushing the barrier; however, Honigford leaned away and kicked the bike rack against the officer.

The FBI arrested Honigford on Nov. 21, 2023, in Ohio.

            This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.

            This case was investigated by the FBI’s Cleveland and Washington Field Offices, which listed Honigford as BOLO (Be on the Lookout) #506 on its seeking information photos. The U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department provided valuable assistance.

            In the 43 months since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,488 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, including nearly 550 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.

            Anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

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Tucson Man Arrested on Two Counts of Aiming a Laser Pointer at Aircraft

Source: US FBI

TUCSON, Ariz. – Charles William Preston II, 53, of Tucson, was arrested on March 6, 2024, after a federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against him on November 1, 2023. Preston is charged with two counts of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. 

The indictment alleges that on two separate occasions, Preston aimed the beam of a laser pointer at a fixed-wing aircraft operated by the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and in the flight path of the same aircraft.

A conviction for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.

An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
 

CASE NUMBER:           CR-23-01688-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-035_Preston

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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

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Ohio Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Prison for Possession and Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

Source: US FBI

AKRON, Ohio – Dion Dejournett, 29, of Akron, was sentenced to 90 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan, after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and one count of possession of firearms to further the crime of drug trafficking. Dejournett was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following release from prison and will also forfeit drug-related assets including four pistols, a semi-automatic rifle and more than $6,000.

According to court documents, in June 2023, the Akron Police Department (APD) executed a search warrant at Dejournett’s apartment. Methamphetamine and fentanyl were recovered throughout the master bedroom, hidden in a closet, drawers, and under the bed, including fentanyl in plain sight on top of a dresser. Packaging materials, cutting agents, and a digital scale were also recovered. Numerous firearms, including several pistols and a semi-automatic rifle, were found at his residence and confiscated. APD later found additional fentanyl on Dejournett following his arrest. Laboratory testing confirmed that police seized a total of 116.39 grams of mixtures and substances containing fentanyl and 1,460.51 of mixtures and substances containing methamphetamine.

The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Akron Police Department and the FBI.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio.

If you have information about the drug-related manufacture, distribution or trafficking of controlled substances, submit an anonymous tip at dea.gov/submit-tip.