OKLAHOMA CITY – ARTIE DUSTIN POPE, 28, of Moore, has been sentenced to 292 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm as part of that drug trafficking, announced Timothy J. Downing, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma.

A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Artie Dustin Pope and SKYLA RAE POPE, 27, also of Moore, on March 7, 2018.  Both defendants were charged with conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.  Artie Dustin Pope was also charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.  According to an affidavit in support of a search warrant filed in Cleveland County District Court, law enforcement learned in January 2018 that Pope was planning to transport as much as 100 pounds of methamphetamine from Kansas to the Oklahoma City area.  According to court records, agents found approximately 45 pounds of methamphetamine, ten pounds of marijuana, and several firearms in his residence after his arrest.

Both defendants pleaded guilty on May 22, 2018.  Artie Dustin Pope admitted he conspired to distribute drugs and possessed a firearm to facilitate drug trafficking.  Skyla Rae Pope admitted she participated in the conspiracy.

On June 10, 2019, U.S. District Judge Robin J. Cauthron sentenced Artie Dustin Pope to 292 months in prison, which is more than 24 years.  After release from prison, he will serve five years on supervised release.  On May 23, 2019, the court sentenced Skyla Rae Pope to ten years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.  The defendants also forfeited a 2006 Ford F-150 pickup, a revolver, and two shotguns.

Prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Petermann, this case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Oklahoma District 21 Drug Task Force, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Norman Police Department.  It is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on the most violent offenders and partners with local prevention and re-entry programs for lasting reductions in crime.  For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.

Reference is made to public filings for further information.