Skip to main content
Press Release

Ardmore Residents Sentenced For Use And Carry Of A Firearm In Furtherance Of A Crime Of Violence

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Oklahoma

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that Shawn Braiden Hickman, age 19, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, and Christopher Hunter Skolarski, age 20, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, have been sentenced to 60 months in prison for Use and Carry of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.

On March 9, 2022, Skolarski pled guilty to one count of Use and Carry of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, and on April 12, 2022, Hickman pled guilty to one count of Use and Carry of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.  The guilty pleas stemmed from an incident September 27, 2021, wherein Hickman and Skolarski attempted to rob a pedestrian at gunpoint on a city street in Ardmore.

The charge arose from an investigation by the Ardmore Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“Prosecuting criminals who use firearms to commit violent crimes is a priority of the Department of Justice," said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Gun crime will not be tolerated.”

"This case serves as a reminder to violent offenders who are a menace in our communities, that the FBI continues to protect the public and hold accountable those who have such bold disregard for the law and for the safety of others,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Edward J. Gray.

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted this case because Hickman and the victim are members of federally recognized Indian tribes and the crime occurred in Carter County, which is within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation and the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

The Honorable Charles B. Goodwin, United States District Judge for the Western District of Oklahoma, presided over the case and sentenced Hickman and Skolarski in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.  Hickman and Skolarski were remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshal at the conclusion of their sentencing.  They will remain in custody pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve their sentence of incarceration.

Assistant United States Attorney Cameron McEwen represented the United States.

Updated May 12, 2023

Topics
Violent Crime
Indian Country Law and Justice
Firearms Offenses