A resident of Valliant, Oklahoma, Dale Warren Gribnitz, 67, has been sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. The sentencing was announced by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The investigation into Gribnitz’s case involved several agencies: the Valliant Police Department, the Choctaw County Sheriff's Office, the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Authorities stated that on October 20, 2024, Gribnitz knowingly possessed a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun despite having a prior conviction for a crime punishable by more than one year in prison.
Gribnitz entered his guilty plea on April 8, 2025.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), an initiative designed to reduce violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement and communities. The program emphasizes building trust with communities, supporting organizations that work to prevent violence before it occurs, focusing enforcement efforts strategically, and tracking outcomes.
The sentencing hearing was overseen by U.S. District Judge Robert J. Shelby from the District of Utah, who presided by assignment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the government in this matter.
