Men Sentenced on Drug, Witness Tampering Charges

February 18, 2010 - MUSKOGEE, OK—Sheldon J. Sperling, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and James E. Finch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI, announced today that RONALD KEITH IRVING, age 36, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, and DEANDRE L. WASHINGTON, age 23, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, were sentenced in federal court.

IRVING was sentenced to 360 months' imprisonment, followed by eight years of supervised release for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine Base, also known as Crack Cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B)(iii) and Tampering with a Witness, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1512(a)(1)(A) and 2.

WASHINGTON was sentenced to 360 months' imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release for Tampering with a Witness, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1512(a)(1)(A) and 2. Both defendants were found guilty by a federal jury in July, 2009.

The charges arose from an investigation by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, officers from the Muskogee Police Department and Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers. Muskogee District Attorney Larry Moore and Sheriff Charles Pearson also worked with us on this investigation.

The evidence at trial established that from on or about February 20, 2009 and continuing on or about March 11, 2009, IRVING and WASHINGTON entered into an agreement to kill a Muskogee Police Lieutenant by conspiring to shoot him with the intent to prevent the officer’s attendance or testimony in federal court proceedings against IRVING.

IRVING, an inmate in the Muskogee County Jail, solicited WASHINGTON to kill Lieutenant Stark, a supervisor of the Muskogee Police Department Narcotics Squad. STARK, is a witness in the federal drug charge against IRVING. WASHINGTON, a known gang member, also known as “Monster”, assertedly agreed to travel to Muskogee to kill Lieutenant Stark at his house. The alleged price for the intended killing was at his house for $50,000.

WASHINGTON traveled to Muskogee to carry out the murder of Stark. WASHINGTON was apprehended by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Honorable Ronald A. White, District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over today’s hearing. The defendants will remain in the custody of the USMS pending transportation to the designated federal prison at which they will serve his nonparolable sentences.

Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Roberts and First Assistant United States Attorney Doug Horn represented the United States.