Muskogee Resident Sentenced To 45 Years In Prison For Aggravated Sexual Abuse In Indian Country

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Jonathan Gage Wiedel, age 19, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 540 months in prison each for 12 counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country.  The terms are set to be served concurrently, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release.

The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office.

On September 9, 2024, Wiedel pleaded guilty to twelve counts of a Superseding Indictment.  As part of the plea, Wiedel admitted that, beginning in August 2022 and continuing through February 2024, while employed as a teacher’s assistant at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Muskogee, Oklahoma, he sexually abused four children under the age of twelve.  The crimes occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

“The defendant used his position of trust as a teacher’s assistant to prey on the most innocent and vulnerable members of our society,” said FBI Oklahoma City Special Agent in Charge Doug Goodwater.  “Safeguarding children and families in our community is among the FBI’s top priorities, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure predators like Wiedel are brought to justice.”

“Today’s sentence reflects the unwavering commitment of federal prosecutors and local and federal law enforcement to seek justice for victims and hold the defendant accountable for his reprehensible actions,” said U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.  “This office stands firm in its resolve to continue to protect our children and ensure the safety of our communities.”

The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.  Wiedel will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.