Charley Lee Buckhorn, a resident of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to 46 months in prison for illegal possession of firearms. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced the sentencing.

The investigation was conducted by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Department, the District 27 Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. On June 10, 2024, Buckhorn pleaded guilty to possessing a loaded AR-15 rifle, a loaded 9mm pistol, and assorted ammunition on November 15, 2023. He had these items despite being previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement agencies and communities. The program emphasizes fostering trust within communities, supporting organizations that prevent violence, setting strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring outcomes.

The hearing was presided over by Chief U.S. District Judge Ronald A. White at the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. Buckhorn will remain in custody with the U.S. Marshals Service until he is transported to a designated Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his sentence without parole.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Howanitz represented the United States in this case.