Robert J. "Bob" Troester U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Oklahoma
Joshua Kyle Cook, a 39-year-old man from Missouri, has been sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
Court records show that on August 27, 2020, Cook was stopped by an agent from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs while traveling on Interstate 40 in Canadian County. Authorities found about three kilograms of methamphetamine hidden inside his vehicle. On September 16, 2020, a federal Grand Jury indicted Cook on charges related to possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
After his initial arrest, Cook was released pending trial but later fled and became a fugitive as of March 10, 2021. Law enforcement agencies recently discovered that he was living in Theodosia, Missouri. On June 9, 2025, multiple agencies located him barricaded and armed inside a shed. There was an armed standoff lasting about two hours during which Cook threatened officers before being taken into custody without injury.
Cook pleaded guilty to the drug charge on September 2, 2025. He admitted that he possessed methamphetamine with the intention to distribute it.
At his sentencing hearing on November 24, 2025, the court imposed a sentence of more than seventeen years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. The court stated that the sentence considered "the need for Cook’s sentence to provide just punishment, promote respect for the law, and afford adequate deterrence to criminal conduct." The court also noted that by engaging in an armed standoff with officers, "Cook had endangered his own life and the lives of law enforcement."
The investigation involved Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control (OBN), Ozark County Sheriff’s Office, and Howell County SWAT. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Drew E. Davis and Jason Harley prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
