Okmulgee Man Sentenced To 46 Months For Firearm Possession

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Ethan Cole Endres, age 28, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for Felon In Possession Of Firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2). The charges arose from an investigation by the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Trails Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Indictment alleged that on April 11, 2019, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant, who had been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year, and knowing of said conviction, knowingly possessed in and affecting commerce, a firearm which had been shipped and transported in interstate commerce.

United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “This case is another success story resulting from agencies working together to maximize their efforts to reduce violent crime. Enforcing federal firearms laws against those who have a track record of lawlessness gives the federal law enforcement community the opportunity to work with local agencies as they work to keep their communities safe. We value and appreciate the strong working relationships the local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies have in the Eastern District.”

The Oklahoma Safe Trails Task Force is comprised of the FBI and nine partner agencies including: Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police, Okmulgee Police Department, Okmulgee Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, District 25 District Attorney’s Investigators, Cherokee Nation Police, Tahlequah Police Department, and Wagoner Police Department.  The task force is focused on combating and reducing crime related to tribal jurisdictions across Oklahoma.

This case is consistent with the principles of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice's signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department's past successful programs to reduce gun violence. A key principle of Project Guardian is enhancing coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes to ensure that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information on Project Guardian, see the Attorney General’s memorandum at: https://www.justice.gov/ag/project-guardian-memo-2019/download. 

                

The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Dean Burris represented the United States.