The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced the federal grand jury sitting in Muskogee completed its May session last week and returned eighty-two felony indictments, including multiple indictments for crimes that allegedly occurred on the Seminole Nation Reservation.

Seventy-six indictments were publicly filed and six remain sealed pending arrest of the charged defendants. All but one of the unsealed charges involve crimes arising out of Indian Country. Thirty-three indictments are for murder, sixteen are sexual assaults, and the balance contain allegations of child abuse/neglect, attempted murder, involuntary manslaughter, felonious assault, robbery, burglary, and kidnapping. The sole non-Indian Country indictment involves possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

The dramatic increase in Indian Country cases for federal prosecution is due to the U.S. Supreme Court decision of McGirt v. Oklahoma and recent Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals rulings. These opinions determined the reservations of the Five Civilized Tribes were never disestablished by Congress and, therefore, the United States has primary federal jurisdiction to prosecute major crimes committed by— or against—Native Americans occurring within the 26 counties of the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The following indictments are for crimes that allegedly occurred on the Seminole Nation Reservation.

Murder:

United States v. Coker Dean Barker and Anastacia Phillinia Little – Count 1: Murder in Indian Country Count 2: Use, Carry, Brandish and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence –Count 3: Causing the Death of a Person in the Course of a Violation of Title 18 U.S.C

United States v. Jace Wayne Conger – Count 1: Murder in Indian Country –Count 2: Causing the Death of a Person in the Course of a Violation of Title 18 U.S.C.

United States v. Kadetrix Devon Grayson – Count 1: Murder in Indian Country – Count 2: Causing the Death of a Person in the Course of a Violation of Title 18 U.S.C.

United States v. John Douglas Knight – Count 1: Murder in Indian Country – 18 U.S.C. §§ 1111(a), 1151, 1153 & 2; Count 2: Causing the Death of a Person in the Course of a Violation of Title 18 U.S.C.

United States v. Robert Wayne Mitchell - Murder in Indian Country

United States v. Eduardo Chapa – Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country

United States v. Antonio Maurice Sambrano – Count 1: Sexual Abuse in Indian Count 2: Sexual Abuse in Indian Country 3: Sexual Abuse in Indian Country

United States v. Bradley Alex Tilley – Sexual Abuse in Indian Country

United States v. Tommy James Whitt – Count 1: Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country Count 2: Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Count 3: Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country Count 4: Aggravated Sexual Abuse in Indian Country

United States v. Mr. Lee Benton, a/k/a Mister Lee Benton, a/k/a Lee Benton – Count 1: Involuntary Manslaughter in Indian Country Count 2: Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine Count 3: Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crime Count 4: Felon in Possession of a Firearm

United States v. Mikkah Tramain Cosar – Count 1: Assault with Intent to Commit Murder in Indian Country Count 2: Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country Count 3: Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country Count 4: Use, Carry, Brandish and Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence

United States v. Autumn Elizabeth Grace Jackson, Sabrina Deanne Orr, and Dustin John Wood – Count 1: Attempted Murder in Indian Country Count 2: Robbery in Indian Count 3: Burglary in the First Degree in Indian Country Count 4: Maiming in Indian Country Count 5: Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Injury in Indian Country Count 6: Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country Count 7: Use, Carry, and Brandish of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence

United States v. Jeremy Curtis Walker – Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country

Non-Indian Country offenses:

United States v. Mr Lee Benton, a/k/a Mister Lee Benton, a/k/a Lee Benton – Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine [Seminole County]