Metro Man Sentenced to Thirteen Years in Federal Prison After Shooting at Midwest City Police Executing a Search Warrant

OKLAHOMA CITY – ANTHONY DEWAYNE HILL, 52, of Midwest City, Oklahoma, was sentenced yesterday to serve thirteen years (156 months) in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and for discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. 

According to a complaint filed on June 1, 2018, officers with Midwest City Police Department served a "no-knock" search warrant on Hill’s residence, on May 24, 2018, for evidence related to possession and distribution of controlled substances.  During execution of the warrant, when officers broke out a bedroom window to enter the home, Hill retrieved a 9mm Ruger pistol from between the mattresses.  According to the complaint, Hill pointed the gun toward the window and fired a round.  The bullet passed near two Midwest City Police Officers, but did not strike or injure them.  According to the complaint, Midwest City officers found cocaine and electronic scales in the bedroom closet, and Hill admitted to the officers that he had sold narcotics for approximately two years.  Hill was arrested on June 1st for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and he has remained in federal custody since his arrest. 

On June 20, 2018, a federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging Hill with (1) possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, (2) being a felon in possession of a firearm, and (3) using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.  According to the indictment, on May 24, 2018, Hill possessed with intent to distribute approximately 20.5 grams of a mixture or substance containing cocaine base.  The indictment further alleges that on May 24, 2018, Hill was a felon in possession of a firearm and that he discharged a firearm during the drug trafficking crime involving the 20.5 grams of cocaine base.    

On October 2, 2018, Hill pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, and to discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime.  As part of a plea agreement, the United States agreed to dismiss the drug-distribution charge at sentencing.    

Yesterday, Judge David L. Russell sentenced Hill to thirteen years in federal prison for the offenses.  At sentencing, Judge Russell noted that it was Hill’s fourth conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.  After serving his prison sentence, Hill will serve three years of federal supervised release. 

This case is the result of an investigation by the Midwest City Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.  This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Patterson, and is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on the most violent offenders and partners with local prevention and re-entry programs for lasting reductions in crime.  To enhance local effectiveness, the Western District of Oklahoma has emphasized prosecution of federal gun crimes connected to domestic violence.

Reference is made to court filings for further information.