On April 3, 2025, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma reported that 17-year-old Timmy Lynn Tatum from Sulphur, Oklahoma, has pleaded guilty to charges related to robbery and felony assault. Tatum admitted to a charge of Robbery in Indian Country, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, as well as to a charge of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm, which could result in up to 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
According to the allegations, on June 30, 2024, Tatum used force, violence, and intimidation to steal and attempt to steal items of value from a victim. On the same day, he allegedly assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon with the intent to cause harm. These incidents occurred in Murray County, within the Chickasaw Nation Reservation territory, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The investigation leading to Tatum's charges involved multiple agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Sulphur Police Department, the Murray County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Gerald L. Jackson accepted Tatum's guilty plea in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The court has ordered a presentence investigation report to be completed. Tatum will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service until sentencing. The final sentence will be determined by a U.S. District Court Judge, who will consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines alongside other statutory factors.
The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob R. Parker and Patrick M. Flanigan.
