A Copan man was sentenced today in federal court after pleading guilty in January 2021 to Count 2 of a federal indictment- felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Terence C. Kern sentenced Thomas Jason Smith, 41, to 78 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
On Aug. 8, 2020, Smith was picked up by a friend in a stolen vehicle and taken to a hotel where they met up with several others. Tulsa Police Officers located the stolen vehicle at the hotel, observed several individuals exit the vehicle and enter a room, and then made contact with the group. In the hotel room, narcotics and multiple firearms were found. After a search of the stolen vehicle, officers discovered a .12 gauge shotgun in the back seat. In his plea agreement, Smith admitted that he knowingly possessed a Tri-Star.12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun. He stated that he knew that his possession of the firearm was prohibited due to his criminal history.
Judge Kern further ordered the defendant to pay $500 in restitution to a victim under count 1 of the indictment- burglary in the third degree in Indian Country. Smith stole the victim’s cell phone from a pickup that was parked at a Tulsa convenience store on Aug. 3, 2020.
The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cymetra M. Williams and Jeffrey A. Gallant prosecuted the case.
The 2150 Initiative is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma, Tulsa Police Department, ATF, and all other local, state, tribal and federal law enforcement partners to combat violent crime by focusing efforts on prohibited persons in possession of firearms as well as those responsible as the “source” of the firearms to prohibited persons. The initiative was named in memory of Tulsa Police Sergeant Craig Johnson. Sgt. Johnson’s badge number, 2150, was selected for the initiative as a way to honor his life and his commitment to the Tulsa community.
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