Chandler Man Sentenced to Serve 12 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm Possession Following Shooting Inside Metro Bar

OKLAHOMA CITY – NICKLUS COLE SWEET, 42, of Chandler, Oklahoma, has been sentenced to serve 12 years in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm following a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.

On December 19, 2023, a federal grand jury charged Sweet with being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to public record, on April 1, 2023, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department responded to reports of a shooting at a metro bar. When officers arrived, they found three individuals who had been killed as a result of gunshot wounds, and another three who were injured. Officers reviewed surveillance footage, where they observed Sweet shooting a firearm during the incident, which injured one of the individuals involved. Pursuant to a court approved search warrant, officers searched a vehicle tied to Sweet on April 3, 2023, and located a firearm that was determined to belong to Sweet.

Public record further reflects that Sweet has previous felony convictions, including convictions for endangering others while eluding a police officer and driving with a suspended license in Canadian County District Court case number CF-2017-846, knowingly concealing stolen property in Lincoln County District Court case number CF-2011-00227, and being a felon in possession of a firearm in the Western District of Oklahoma case number CR-21-129.

On April 18, 2024, Sweet pleaded guilty, and admitted he possessed the firearm despite his criminal record.

At the sentencing hearing on October 31, 2024, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Sweet to serve 12 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the serious circumstances in this case, which involved Mr. Sweet shooting an individual during a violent altercation. The court also noted that Mr. Sweet had only been released from prison—for illegally possessing a firearm—about a month before having participated in this shooting.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stan J. West and Wilson D. McGarry prosecuted the case.

This case is also part of “Operation Shots Fired.” Operation Shots Fired targets cases involving individuals who discharge firearms as part of their criminal activity, such as drive-by shootings or when shots are fired during robberies, domestic disputes, or other incidents. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.

Reference is made to public filings for additional information.