United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the October 2022 Federal Grand Jury B.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Damien Arevalo-Hernandez. Possession of a Firearm by an Alien Illegally in the United States; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Arevalo-Hernandez, 34, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing an Astra .25 semi-auto pistol while unlawfully being in the United States. He is further charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed on April 4, 2016, at or near Laredo, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema M. Onias is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-363
Wayne Allen Baker. Wire Fraud; Aggravated Identity Theft (superseding). Baker, 53, of Bixby, allegedly devised a scheme to defraud a national commercial products distributor based in California. Prosecutors allege the purpose of his scheme was to obtain thousands of dollars-worth of commercial goods from the Company in order to enrich himself. Baker told the company that he was acting on behalf of a business described as EMI in the indictment. As part of his scheme, Baker altered the name of the legitimate EMI business by inserting a hyphen into the name, thus appearing to be legitimate. Baker set up online accounts with the Company where he falsely and fraudulently represented that he was acting on behalf of EMI and was associated with EMI’s chief executive officer. Using the fraudulently created EMI account at the Company, Baker ordered commercial goods worth a total of approximately $92,098.25. He directed the goods to be delivered to his residence in Bixby where he represented himself as EMI’s chief executive officer. Baker was not associated with the company EMI and had no authority to act on its behalf, and he had no association with nor the authority to act on behalf of EMI’s chief executive officer. Baker initially made the orders appear legitimate, in part, by making bogus partial online payments to the Company. Baker was allegedly able to enrich himself with the Company’s commercial goods in the amount of $29,000 before the Company discovered the scheme. Baker was originally indicted in December 2021 and was finally located and arrested in September 2022. The FBI, U.S. Secret Service, and Bixby Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Cella is prosecuting the case. 21-CR-557
Colton Lee Barnes. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Barnes, 27, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing 40 grams or more of fentanyl with the intent to distribute on May 14, 2022. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn A. McCormick is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-352
Daniel Christopher Edwards. Possession of an Unregistered Destructive Device; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country; Attempt to Commit Arson in Indian Country; Conveying False and Misleading Information Concerning an Explosive Device. Edwards, 48, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a destructive device on Oct. 5, 2022, that had not been registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The incendiary bomb, also called a Molotov cocktail, consisted of a glass jar filled with an ignitable liquid, having a wick constructed of a cloth like material. He is further alleged to have assaulted a Holy Family Cathedral employee when he slashed him with a machete multiple times, causing serious bodily injury. He then attempted to set fire to the church when he threw the incendiary bomb at the church. Finally, he is charged with conveying misleading information concerning an explosive device at a Tulsa Reasor’s grocery store. Edwards allegedly told several individuals that if he was approached, he would push a button that “would be worse than a bomb.” See the initial Complaint press release here. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Tulsa Police Department, and FBI are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert T. Raley is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-362
Daniel Robert Frost; Jessica Dawn Morris. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime. Frost, 25, of Gore, and Morris, 31, of Vian, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. Both Frost and Morris allegedly possessed with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. Frost is further charged with possessing with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Finally, Frost and Morris are charged with possessing a firearm to further their drug trafficking crimes. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel-lyn McCormick is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-353
Alvaro Garcia-Mendez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Garcia-Mendez, 30, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been deported at or near Del Rio, Texas, on Jan. 22, 2020. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-354
Jacob Nolan Jessup. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition(Counts 1,2) (superseding). Jessup, 33, of Tulsa, is charged with being a felon in possession of a Canik 9 mm caliber semi-automatic pistol on March 25, 2022, and being a felon in possession of Sturm, Ruger & Company .380 caliber pistol and three rounds of ammunition on Aug. 7, 2022. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon A. Skates is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-276
Brandon CJ Palmer. Robbery in Indian Country (Count 1); Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country (Count 2); Assault of a Spouse by Strangling, and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country (Count 3); Obstruction of Justice by Threatening Physical Force Against a Witness (Count 4); Domestic Assault in Indian Country by a Habitual Offender (Count 5); Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country (Counts 6,7); Cyberstalking (Count 9); Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country (Counts 8,11); Extortion (Count 10); Abusive Sexual Contact by Force or Threat in Indian Country (Counts 12). On Sept. 23, 2022, Palmer, 34, of Tulsa, allegedly strangled an intimate partner with intent to commit murder, beat her, took her purse and threatened to kill her if she called the police. He further is alleged to have sexually assaulted the victim on multiple occasions from November 2021 to January 2022 and from July 2022 to Sept. 22, 2022. He is further charged with assaulting the same victim from Sept. 1, 2022, to Sept. 22, 2022; with sending threatening and harassing electronic messages to the victim from Jan. 22, 2022, to Feb. 2, 2022; and with extorting the victim. Finally, Palmer is charged with abusive sexual contact with a different victim by using force, threats and fear on Sept. 21, 2022. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-355
Miles Alan Parsons. Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. From Sept. 13, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2022, Parsons, 38, of Tulsa, allegedly used electronic means to attempt to coerce and entice an individual he believed to be a minor to engage in sexual activity. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-356
Josue Ramirez-Yanez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ramirez-Yanez, 36, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed at or near Laredo, Texas on Nov. 22, 2011. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-357
Brock Anthony Edward Thompson. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of an Unregistered Rifle Having a Barrel of Less Than 16 Inches in Length; Transportation of Livestock. Thompson, 34, of Nowata, is charged with being a felon in possession of an Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 semi-automatic rifle on March 29, 2022. He is further charged with possessing the firearm, which had a barrel of less than 16 inches, that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Finally, he is charged with transporting stolen livestock on July 28, 2022. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Bartlesville Police Department, Nowata County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex M. Scott is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-361
Jose Manuel Vazquez-Calderon. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Vazquez-Caleron, 38, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed at or near Hidalgo, Texas, on about March 11, 2015, to on or about March 14, 2015. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rubens is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-358
Gilberto Jessi Vazquez-Munoz. Possession of a Firearm by an Alien Illegally in the United States. Vazquez-Munoz, 28, a Mexican National, is charged with possessing a Phoenix Arms Co. .22 caliber pistol while knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Owasso Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon A. Skates is prosecuting the case. 22-CR-360