Wister Man Sentenced To 238 Months For Possession Of Firearm In Furtherance Of A Drug Trafficking Crime

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Michael Talon Barnes, age 27, of Wister, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 238 months’ imprisonment and 3 years of supervised release for Possession Of A Firearm In Furtherance Of A Drug Trafficking Crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A). The charges arose from an investigation by the Sallisaw Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The Indictment alleged that on or about the March 11, 2018, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, Michael Talon Barnes knowingly possessed a Jennings Firearms Inc., Mo. J22, .22 Caliber Semi-Auto Pistol, serial number 268516, a firearm, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime for which he may be prosecuted in a court of the United States.

United States Attorney Brian J. Kuester said.  “Drug trafficking and violence go hand in hand. People in the business of dealing drugs often possess guns to protect their product and profits. This investigation and the resulting prosecution is an example of how federal and local law enforcement agencies work closely together to make our communities safer places to live, work, and raise a family.” 

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. Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Harrington represented the United States.