This week in federal court, two men were sentenced for attempting to sexually exploit minors and a third man was sentenced for failing to register as a sex offender, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

“The sexual predation of children by adults is perverse and sickening. Social media platforms are the primary means of communication by America’s youth, and, in turn, how predators hunt and seek to exploit vulnerable children,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. “The immutable nature of child sex predators underscores the important work by cybercrimes detectives. From outreach and education to investigation and enforcement, our local, state, and federal law enforcement officers are working day and night to protect Oklahoma’s children. I commend their work and assure you we will continue to bring child predators to justice.”

Arthur James Mann, 34, of Bristow, was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. A federal jury convicted Mann of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor on Dec. 17, 2019. Mann communicated with an individual he believed to be 13 years of age but instead was an undercover officer. From July 29 to Aug. 17, 2018, Mann communicated with the “girl” on Facebook, telling her that his name was Andrew Mason and that he was 16 years old. Mann initiated multiple sexual conversations with the “girl” and requested nude photos. Mann further suggested the two meet in order to have sex on Aug. 17, 2018. Mann arrived that night in his pajamas and slippers to meet the 13-year-old girl. Instead, he was met by officers from the Bristow Police Department and taken into custody. The Bristow and Sapulpa Police Departments conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Snow and Scott Proctor prosecuted the case.

Casey Adam Parker, 40, of Afton, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison to be followed by seven years of supervised release. Parker pleaded guilty Dec. 11, 2019, to attempted receipt of child pornography. On July 2, 2019, Parker used a social media app to engage with an individual he believed to be a minor. In actuality, he was speaking to a law enforcement officer. Parker knowingly attempted to persuade the “minor” to engage in sexual activity and to send him sexually explicit pictures. Parker was arrested July 2, as part of Operation Independence Day, a month-long operation to apprehend child predators and recover victims of child exploitation and sex trafficking. The Tulsa Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard M. Cella prosecuted the case.

Additionally, a third man was sentenced this week for failing to register as a sex offender. Kacey J. Hamilton, 29, of Tulsa, aka Brandon Bickford, was sentenced to 12 months in federal prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Hamilton pleaded guilty Dec. 11, 2019, to failure to register as a sex offender. Hamilton resided in Oklahoma since August 2018, and knowingly failed to register and update his registration as a sex offender. The Tulsa Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Victor A.S. Régal prosecuted the case.

A federal jury convicted a Bristow man Tuesday of coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.

Arthur James Mann, 34, was found guilty of communicating with an individual he believed to be 13 years of age but who was an undercover officer. From July 29 to Aug. 17, 2018, Mann communicated with the “girl” on Facebook, telling her that his name was Andrew Mason and he was 16 years old. Mann initiated multiple sexual conversations with the girl and requested nude photos. Mann further suggested the two meet in order to have sex on Aug. 17, 2018. Mann arrived that night in his pajamas and slippers to meet the 13-year-old girl. Instead, he was met by officers from the Bristow Police Department and taken into custody.

“The jury has spoken, and Arthur Mann is guilty as charged of attempting to coerce and entice a minor via Facebook. Parents must be aware that sex predators like Mann use social media to find, groom, and entice their prey. In this case, we were lucky the defendant was talking to an undercover law enforcement officer and not a 13-year-old child. Key evidence in this trial included a cell phone and communications on Facebook. The ever-present threat of online child predators underscores the importance of lawful access by law enforcement to various tech devices and social media platforms,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores. 

“I hope the public understands that law enforcement gains “lawful access” to cell phones and social media accounts through warrants and wiretaps approved by impartial judges,” Shores continued. “‘Warrant proof encryption’ or ‘end-to-end encryption’ touted by some social media platforms actually facilitates and protects the criminal acts of pedophiles and others online. Bottom line, when technology prevents law enforcement officials from having lawful access, it puts our children and communities at risk. Thankfully, law enforcement officials in this case were able to search Mr. Mann’s cell phone to obtain critical evidence.”

U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell set sentencing for March 2020. At that time, Mann faces a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, supervised release of not less than five years up to life, and a fine not to exceed $250,000.

The Bristow Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edward Snow and Scott Proctor are prosecuting the case.

This case was prosecuted as part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative. PSC combats the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse and was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

United States Attorney Trent Shores announced today the results of the October 2019 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.

Michael Lee Davis. Possession of Firearms by an Unlawful User of a Controlled Substance (Counts 1 and 3); False Statements in Connection with the Acquisition of Firearms (Counts 2 and 4). Davis, 25, of Henryetta, is charged with knowing that he was an unlawful drug user in possession of a Sig Sauer, 5.56mm caliber semi-automatic rifle and a Kimber USA .45 ACP caliber semi-automatic pistol. He is further charged with making a false statement, and causing a false statement to be made, about his illegal drug use on the ATF Form 4473 when purchasing the firearms at a licensed firearms dealer in Broken Arrow. Davis is also charged with knowing he was an unlawful drug user in possession of a KelTec .40 S & W caliber semi-automatic rifle. Finally, Davis is charged with making a false statement, and causing a false statement to be made, about his illegal drug use on the ATF Form 4473 when purchasing the KelTec .40 S& W caliber semi-automatic rifle from a licensed firearms dealer in Owasso. Due to his drug use, Davis is prohibited from owning a firearm under federal law. Davis also possessed nearly 1,000 rounds of ammunition. The Henryetta Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

Charles Michael Fox. Attempting to Damage and Destroy by Means of Fire and Explosive Materials. Fox, 44, of Tulsa, is charged with maliciously attempting to damage and destroy his apartment building by means of fire and explosive materials. The Tulsa Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

Alicia Nicole Giboney. Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute. Gibony, 31, of Tulsa is charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Pawhuska Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Angelo Latice Harrington. Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute (Counts 1 & 5); Possession of Heroin With Intent to Distribute (Count 2); Possession of Cocaine With Intent to Distribute (Count 3); Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes (Counts 4 and 6). Harrington, 35, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on March 26, 2019; he is also charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute heroin and with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute cocaine on March 26, 2019. He is further charged with possessing an R.G. Industries .38 Special caliber pistol and a North American Arms Inc., .22 Magnum caliber pistol in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes On March 26, 2019. Harrington is also charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on Aug. 20, 2019. Finally, Harrington is charged with possessing a North American Arms Inc., .22 Magnum caliber revolver and a Remington Arms .20 Gauge caliber shotgun in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes on Aug. 20, 2019. The Tulsa Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies.

Larry Wayne Lytle. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Lytle, 40, of   Tulsa, is charged with failing to register as a sex offender since June 1, 2019. The Tulsa Police Department and U.S. Marshals Service are the investigative agencies.

Arthur James Mann. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Mann, 34, of Bristow, is charged with attempting to persuade and entice an individual whom he believed to be a minor to engage in sexual activity from July 29, 2018, to August 17, 2018. The Bristow Police Department is the investigative agency.

Carnell Lovette Matthews.  Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Receipt of Child Pornography. (superseding) From April 30 to May 2, 2019, Matthews, 43, of Tulsa, is alleged to have persuaded, induced, coerced, and enticed a minor to engage in sexual activity. He is further charged with receiving images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The FBI and Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies.

Robert Lee Newsom Jr. Wire Fraud Conspiracy. Newsom Jr., 33, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring with others to commit wire fraud from January 2017 to present. Mr. Newsom and his conspirators presented themselves to cashiers at various Walmart stores throughout the Northern District of Oklahoma, pretending to be Walmart representatives. The conspirators allegedly presented false vouchers to cashiers bearing the designations of “Rapid Reload Cash Voucher,” “Prepaid Debit Cash Travel Voucher” and “Walmart Corporate Cash Travel Voucher.”  Newsom and his co-conspirators then requested that the cashiers credit Rapid Reload transaction cards in the amounts of approximately $500 each time. According to the indictment, the conspirators made purchases with the Rapid Reload cards and obtained cash. In total, it is alleged that Newsom and his co-conspirators caused a loss of more than $100,000 to Walmart. The U.S. Secret Service is the investigative Agency.

Juan Carlos Torres-Rangel. Possession of Methamphetamine With Intent to Distribute. Torres-Rangel, 31, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine on Sept. 13, 2019. The Tulsa Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration are the investigative agencies.

Pablo Jose Soriano-Villareal; Felix Gil-Cardenas; Diego Carrillo-Lopez; David Hernandez-Perez; Oscar Guadalupe Delgado-Trujillo, Marylou Diaz, Asael Rios, and Fernando Cabello-Sanchez.  Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Distribution of Heroin (Counts 2-13); Possession of Heroin With Intent to Distribute (Counts 14-18, 20); Attempt to Possess Heroin With Intent to Distribute (Count 19); Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien (Count 21-24).  Soriano-Villareal, of Tulsa; Gil-Cardenas, of Tulsa; Carrillo-Lopez, of Tulsa; Hernandez-Perez, of Tulsa; Delgado-Trujillo, residence unknown; Diaz, 38, of Pomona, California; Rios, 34, of Pomona, California; and Cabello Sanchez, 46, of Tulsa, are charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute 1 kilogram or more of heroin. Gil-Cardenas, Hernandez-Perez, and Carrillo-Lopez are charged individually in Counts 2-13 with knowingly distributing heroin. Soriano-Villareal, Gil-Cardenas, Carillo-Lopez, Hernandez-Perez, Delgado-Trujillo, and Cabello-Sanchez are charged individually in Counts 14-18 and 20 with knowingly possessing with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Cabello-Sanchez is charged in Count 19 with knowingly attempting to possess with intent to distribute 1 kilogram or more of heroin. Finally, Soriano-Villareal, Delgado-Trujillo, Cabello-Sanchez, and Hernandez-Perez are charged individually with reentry of a removed alien. The Drug Enforcement Administration is the investigative agency.