Tulsa Man Sentenced for Stealing Assault Rifles and Trading Them for Cash and Methamphetamine

Anthony Ronnie Martinez, 45, of Tulsa, was sentenced today to more than five years in federal prison for stealing and unlawfully carrying away firearms from a licensed dealer and for possessing, receiving, concealing, storing, bartering, selling, and disposing of stolen firearms and ammunition. 

On November 10, 2017, Martinez and his girlfriend, Shannon Lee Fryman, backed a vehicle into a Tulsa gun store and stole 11 firearms, including assault rifles, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, then fled the premises.  Over the next three days, the two traded multiple firearms for cash and methamphetamine.  On, January 8, 2018, Martinez pleaded guilty to the charges.

“Federal and local authorities worked together to track down Martinez and Fryman, following their brazen late night raid of a federal firearms licensee’s store.  The Tulsa and Broken Arrow Police Departments, along with the ATF, really did amazing work on this investigation in identifying and finding the suspects as well as the stolen guns.  Their diligence, combined with a focused federal prosecutor, secured this conviction and sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Trent Shores.  “This case is a win for public safety and for the Project Safe Neighborhoods program.  PSN is making a positive difference in northeastern Oklahoma’s violent crime rate one case at a time.”

U.S. District Judge John Dowdell sentenced Martinez to 63 months in prison and ordered Martinez and Fryman to pay restitution in the amount of $50,534 for the damage caused during the robbery. He will also be required to serve three years of supervised release.

This prosecution was part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods and resulted from an investigation conducted by the Tulsa and Broken Arrow Police Departments and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive.  Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan M. Roberts prosecuted the case.