Eufaula Man Sentenced To 157 Months For Methamphetamine Distribution, Firearm Possession

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Erickson Clay Ward, age 57, of Eufaula, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 97 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release for Possession With Intent To Distribute Methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841 (b)(1)(B); and 60 months imprisonment to run consecutive to his sentence for Count 1, for Possession Of Firearm In Furtherance Of Drug Trafficking Crime in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c). The charges arose from an investigation by the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Indictment alleged that on or about May 3, 2018, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, the defendant knowingly and intentionally possessed with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance. The Indictment also alleged that on or about May 3, 2018, the defendant knowingly possessed a firearm - a Cobra Enterprises, Inc. / Kodiak Ind., Model FS380, 380 caliber pistol, serial number FS049344 - in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said, “Helping state and local law enforcement authorities combat violent crime is a priority for this office and the Department of Justice. We can maximize our impact in the communities we serve when federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies recognize that we all have the common goal of public safety, and work together to achieve it. This case is a great example of the type of interagency cooperation that is a common occurrence in the Eastern District.”

The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, in Muskogee, presided over the hearing. First Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Wilson represented the United States. The defendant will remain in custody pending transportation to the designated federal facility at which the non-paroleable sentence will be served.