Month: April 2022

Source: United States Department of Justice News

A Jay man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court for shooting and killing his mother and wounding a second victim, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Christopher Weeley, 42, pleaded guilty to second degree murder in Indian Country and assault with intent to commit murder in Indian Country.

Weeley admitted that on March 6, 2021, he killed his mother, Annie Marie Weeley, by shooting her in the chest. He also admitted to shooting a second family member two times during the domestic violence incident.

“Christopher Weeley’s acts of deadly violence forever changed a Delaware County family,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “My thoughts are with the surviving victim as she struggles to recover from the shooting and with the entire family as this case moves through the justice system. I encourage any family experiencing violence to seek assistance from law enforcement and victim service agencies who can help provide critical safety information and resources.”

“The unfathomable assaults of the Weeley family members is nothing a household should ever experience,” said Ed Gray, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the Oklahoma City Field Office. “We hope they find solace in knowing this heinous crime will not go unpunished and the FBI, in collaboration with its partners, will continue to work relentlessly in pursuit of maintaining safety and order with our communities.”

On March 6, 2021, a Delaware County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to a home in Jay. While en route, he received a radio call advising him there was a report of shots fired at the home with two possible victims. When he arrived at 11:17 pm, he found Annie Marie Weeley wounded and unresponsive on the floor and a second family member on the couch with gunshot wounds to her stomach and lower back.

The two victims were transported to the hospital, where the mother was pronounced dead. The second victim underwent emergency surgery.

Christopher Weeley was located approximately one hour later exiting a black sedan. Weeley refused to obey deputies’ commands and resisted arrest. He was ultimately subdued and taken into custody. During a law enforcement interview, Weeley told investigators the location where he discarded the .22 caliber revolver used in the incident, and deputies retrieved the firearm.

The FBI and Delaware County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan M. Roberts is prosecuting the case.

If you or someone you know is experiencing or has experienced family violence, you are not alone, and there are services available to help. The following agencies provide 24/7 phone lines to victims in northeastern Oklahoma: 

– Cherokee Nation One Fire, located in Tahlequah:24 hour line 918-772-4260. 

–Muscogee Nation Family Violence Prevention Program, located in Okmulgee and other satellite offices: 24-hour line 918- 732-7979

–The Delaware Tribe of Indians Family and Children, located in Bartlesville: 24-Hour line: 918-331-7349

All three of the above agencies assist Indian and non-Indian victims.

–Domestic Violence Intervention Services (DVIS) located in Tulsa: 24-hour line 918.7HELP.ME (918.743.5763).

–Tulsa’s Family Safety Center also provides assistance and resources to domestic violence victims Monday-Friday from 8 am to 5 pm: (918) 742-7480. (this is NOT a 24 hour number).

-Victims may also seek information and assistance at the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-SAFE (7233); National Sexual Assault Hotline, 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), and the StrongHearts Native Helpline, 1-844-7NATIVE (762-8483). In addition, you can find a resources page on the Office on Violence Against Women’s website. The page includes contact information for state domestic violence coalitions that can direct you to local resources and services.

For emergency services, call 911.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

Gulfport, Miss.  – A Picayune man was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution to a victim, for producing a video of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi.   

According to court documents, Joshua Christopher Stockstill, 29, enticed a minor child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct with his cell phone camera in Pearl River County in November of 2018.  The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) became aware of the video and other images. On July 14, 2021, with the assistance of NCMEC, the FBI in Gulfport identified then Picayune Police Sergeant Joshua Christopher Stockstill as the producer of the video. 

Stockstill pled guilty on November 30, 2021 to producing a video of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. 

At sentencing, Stockstill was also ordered to pay a $10,000 assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with the assistance of the Mississippi Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Division.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones prosecuted the case.  

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ 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.usdoj.gov/psc.

Source: United States Department of Justice News

ROCKFORD — A federal grand jury in Rockford has returned an indictment charging two defendants – TONY CLAPP, 58, and GREGORY BOLLMAN, 48 – with conspiracy to possess 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.

Clapp was also charged with attempted possession of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.  He is currently on supervised release stemming from federal distribution of cocaine charges.  

The indictment was returned on Tuesday.  Arraignments in U.S. District Court in Rockford have not yet been scheduled. 

The indictment was announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; and Robert J. Bell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the DEA.  Substantial assistance was provided by the Illinois State Police, Illinois State Police Blackhawk Area Task Force, the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Office, and the Nebraska State Police.  The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Ladd.

The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt.  The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Clapp faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum  of life, while Bollman faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum of life.  If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. 

Source: United States Department of Justice News

WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Ryan Joel King, age 40, of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann for drug trafficking. According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, on November 9, 2021, King entered a guilty plea to possessing methamphetamine and LSD with the intent to distribute them to others.  King was the subject of an investigation by the Pennsylvania State Police and was found with 286 grams of methamphetamine, nearly 2 grams of liquid LSD, and drug paraphernalia.  King also possessed a .22 caliber handgun in connection with the drug offense which led to a sentencing enhancement.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the Pennsylvania State Police.  Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur prosecuted the case.

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Source: United States Department of Justice News

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal jury found Dezmaighne McClain, 31, of Sacramento, guilty on Wednesday of three counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, McClain, while on felony parole, sold a firearm to an individual on July 15, 2019, soon after meeting the person at the parole office. McClain sold the same individual another firearm on July 30, 2019, and continued to discuss potential firearms sales after that date. Evidence at trial showed that McClain also sold guns to others while on parole. McClain is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition based on his prior felony convictions, which include robbery, assault, and illegal possession of a firearm. During a search of McClain’s residence, agents found more firearms, ammunition, and an assault rifle style “ghost” gun hidden in the garage.

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michele Beckwith and Audrey Hemesath are prosecuting the case.

McClain is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb on July 11, 2022. McClain faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.