Clinton J. Johnson U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma
An Oklahoma man, Christopher Allen Thetford, 31, has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III also ordered three years of supervised release following his imprisonment.
The case began in April 2024 when Broken Arrow Police officers noticed a vehicle with a damaged windshield entering a hotel parking lot in an area known for criminal activity and drug use. After the vehicle left the hotel, officers conducted a traffic stop. Upon approaching the car, officers detected the smell of marijuana and identified Thetford as the passenger.
When asked by police if there was a firearm in the vehicle, Thetford denied it. Officers later found methamphetamine on Thetford during a search after he exited the car. Additional bags of methamphetamine and a firearm were discovered under the passenger seat where Thetford had been sitting.
Court records indicate that Thetford has previous felony convictions in both Missouri and Oklahoma. He will remain in custody until he is transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The investigation was carried out by the Broken Arrow Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dowdell prosecuted the case.
According to U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson: "This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone." Johnson added: "On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results."
For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods visit Justice.gov/PSN.
