Robert J. "Bob" Troester U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma
A Lawton man has been sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for possessing a machinegun conversion device, according to an announcement from U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
Jeremiah Alexander Dearing, 21, was charged after a recorded video jail call on October 9, 2024, during which Lawton Police Department officers observed him displaying an AK47-style pistol and flashing gang signs. Because Dearing was not old enough under Oklahoma law to legally possess the firearm, police obtained a search warrant for his home. Officers found five firearms in his bedroom, including a privately made gun without a serial number. All weapons were chamber-loaded and had high-capacity magazines. A machinegun conversion device (MCD) was also recovered; such devices can turn semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic firearms. Authorities additionally seized about 92 fentanyl pills from the residence.
On December 3, 2024, a federal grand jury indicted Dearing for unlawful possession of a machinegun. He pleaded guilty on February 11, 2025.
At the sentencing hearing on August 22, 2025, U.S. District Judge Patrick R. Wyrick handed down the sentence of nearly six years in prison and three years of supervised release following incarceration. Judge Wyrick cited "the significant public safety concern posed by Dearing’s conduct and the need to promote respect for the law."
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lawton Police Department investigated the case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted it.
According to officials, this case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which involves collaboration among various levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and gun violence in communities (https://justice.gov/psn, https://justice.gov/usao-wdok). It also falls under “Project Switch Off,” an initiative targeting illegal machinegun conversion devices in western Oklahoma.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
