A McAlester resident, Leslie Ray Upchurch, has been sentenced to 77 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition, the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced. Upchurch, aged 36, faced one count of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.
The McAlester Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. On October 29, 2024, Upchurch pleaded guilty, acknowledging possession of a Ruger 9mm Luger caliber semi-automatic pistol along with several rounds of 9mm Luger caliber ammunition on April 28, 2023. This possession occurred after he had been previously convicted of a crime carrying a sentence of over one year.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which aims to connect law enforcement with communities to tackle violent crime and gun violence. The initiative promotes trust within communities, supports violence prevention through community-based organizations, focuses enforcement priorities strategically, and assesses outcomes. The department launched an enhanced violent crime reduction strategy on May 26, 2021.
Chief U.S. District Judge Ronald A. White oversaw the proceedings in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. Upchurch is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service and awaits transfer to a United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve his sentence without parole.
The case was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob R. Parker.
